Existence
by Alice Adams Poe
Summary: When a new monster arrives at the facility, she brings with her a dark past that will unlock the darkest secrets of the facility. This will ultamitly lead her to an early grave-and forever end her Existence.
1. Chapter 1

**{Chapter I}**

The realms of Science and Science Fiction are often blurred. Day in and day out, they are. With each new advancement in science, there is always one or two drawbacks. With each new breakthrough, hundreds of others have already suffered, and some suffrages can never be forgiven. It is for this reason, I since started this project. It bends the very realms of cloning and stem cells. In fact, one could say it was practically insane. I wondered why, when cells were altered to created clones, etc, that they always had to start with a new being. They had to push the 'reset' button on life, and have the creature be born, to see results. I simply wanted to perfect this, wanted to try and combine two living organisms in the middle of their lives, instead at the beginning. Of course, I needed a purpose for this. Some creatures, I realized would give me more then enough reason to start the experiment. What if a human had wings of an eagle? The hearing of a dog? The speed of a cheetah? What if we had such supernatural powers? Why-it would be brilliant. Of course, I had no idea of the side effects, and I did not want to test this on simply animals. Why, that broke the reason for the experiment. Since many animals carried the same qualities as others, it made no point to try to combine them. So, I had to turn to the animal which I wished to make better.

Us.

The only problem was, I dare not put another's life on the line for this. At least-not until I knew the side effects, and whether or not it worked. I decided then to be my own guinea pig. As for which animal I was to fuse myself with, I chose the rat. An albino, aka, 'lab rat'. The rat is a flexible, almost indestructible creature. Why, it can survive being in a freezer, contort its spine to go through quarter-sized holes, and even survive in cold water for a few days. Not to mention its tail-which would give me extra balance, and an extra hand, along with another way to keep cool-as rats sweat with their tails. So, there was my project. The chose a normal rat, and slowly but surely transferred certain cells from it, into certain cells of mine. Of course, I did not do this with the cell _on_ me. Working under a medical microscope, I was able to have at least 6 million cells, each in its own group, with its own directions and orders on what it was to do. Cells for pigment, skeleton, looks, and other such things were put into place, combining them with certain cells of mine. So, they would mutate. Maybe the hair cell from me, would combine with the fur cell of the rat. And the pigments would fuse, and change feel and look and shape. It was not hair-but was not fur. I couldn't think of what to call it, I was only overjoyed that such mutations worked. Of course, all vital cells I had, such as for my organs and brain, I did not extract or alter. They remained human. Now, as for the cells I now had-after 30 days of incubating in a fridge-I had to think of a way to transfer them. I decided, to put the cells into a syringe, and with preserving chemicals, shot them into my arm. They did not have an immediate effect but slowly, day after day, I cam closer to the answer, and the break through was at my heels.

60 days after the cells were first injected, I had completed the stage. However, my project was a success-but alas also a horror-some failure. My head was that of an albino rats, and so was my neck. My back was covered in fur like the rat's-no, hair like fur-and this covered the back of my arms, were the natural hair was. This also curved around to the front of my legs, they too, were covered in the fur-hair substance of a bright white. I had a tail, a great long, and large tail-but a rat's tail. My hands were constructed like a humans, but look like a rats. So were my feet. My teeth remained the same, as did the front of me-as did my brain, and my eyes, and my organs. My skeleton was much more flexible, I could fit through many things that should have crushed me. However, it was not long before I was found out. I was, indeed, a Rat-Person. A living, Rodent-Sapient. I was discovered simply because some wondered why I never stepped out of the house, and, soon, I was sent away in the darkest of steel trucks, away to some unknown area. Now, I cannot tell you all of my trip, as I remember waking up halfway through. Yet I detected a climate change, and I swear at one point we had gone on a plane-for what reason, I do not know. They did not want me to wake up, and for most of the trip I had to trick them into thinking whatever drug they gave me had its full effect-yet it was not none yet, that rats had a great immune system, and all drugs they had tried to use on me, had less then half their full effect. Maybe being a half..rodent..person wouldn't be so bad. At least it wasn't to bad until I opened my eyes to suddenly find myself in a dark box. My eye sight was not good in the dark, and a rat's vision is not all that good-I am grateful I did not add that onto the experiment. However, I remember hearing the squeaking of a wheel-dare I say-it was a hamster wheel, and I cringed as I walked over to it, and touched it. I was clearly a rat, not a hamster, and I am clearly a human. I still wondered what else I had yet to find in my 'cell' or I guess, 'cage'. I continued to feel and smell my way about, when I found a giant water bottle-like those you'd fit into the bars of a rat cage for water, and by touching the end it would drip out. My lip-not so much my lip-but my jaw twitched in anger. I was not a rat, nor a pet. I was still human, in an anthropomorphic way, and I still the mind I had before the experiment. I was at least happy to discover a bed, and what seemed to be a box some some junk. I thought at first this was for me to 'gnaw' on, to keep from my teeth (fangs?) from overgrowing. Yet, I realized they were not odd at all-well yes, they were-but instead where to be used to aide my brain in whatever I was doing. It would have been helpful if I at least had my old logs, and I soon discovered those on top of the bed. I didn't quite understand why I was here. I mean-I was in a dark little box, with no light. Yes, I could make a flashlight, but I'd rather know where I was, and even better why. So, I decided, I'd try to brake through the walls. My tail flicked happily at the idea-but then again it was rather odd having an extra appendage so maybe it had been an accident. I fit together a worn out fire-extinguisher, with a burnt out lighter, tape, glue, copper wires, a battery-almost out of its use-and really just a match and a rock. And in a moment I had a makeshift flamethrower, that would only work about two minutes. So I felt my way over to the wall at the front, and struck the match a few times against the rock-the match lit I set it to the flamethrower, and after it blazed aflame (at which point I almost dropped it, as it nearly blinded me) I set it up to the metal wall, and was able to burn through a hole about the size of a doggy-door. The flamethrower no longer useful, I tossed it aside, and almost gave up there. I had forgotten I could squeeze through that-and I easily did. And, well, I found myself in a giant white room, with a table and chairs-and it was lighter then before, but still dark.

It dawned on me then that it must have been night, but I decided I could wait that long, and took a seat at the table and waited-for about two hours. I couldn't even guess how much I'd change that day, and yet I was changed enough. I guessed there were other living things here-or why would their be chairs? And I only hoped they knew something more then I did about this place.


	2. Chapter 2

**{Chapter II}**

Suddenly the lights flicked on, and I blinked. My rat eyes blinded for a moment, before they grew used to the light. The room that used to look like a blank gray with a table-was now a blank white, with a table. My head rested on one of my paws, well hand-paws. I was drowsy, yet I did not care. My sleep could wait, I needed answers. I watched as the creatures walked out-I saw four.

One was a giant woman, with white hair. Another was a blue blob with a red eye. The third was a fish like primate. And the last-well it was like me. Only it was a he, and instead of being a rat, it had the head of a Cockroach. Its body was human though, and I wondered how he could have gotten here. Stem cells..well they were new. How could it already be done? I also saw that the Cockroach wore the same sort of clothes that I did. He had a lab coat on, but unlike me he only had two buttons buttoned, while I had three. His undershirt was a light blue, while mine was black. And, as for pants-well they were plaid, while mine were, well, gray. He had socks-probably shorter then mine, as mine covered my whole leg. But the shoes-well the shoes were the same. Outdated.

"Well now." The reptile-like ape said. "I see we got a new one."  
"Less then a year after you, Susan." The Cockroach observed, "that is really odd."  
The blue mass seemed oblivious of seeing me.

The Cockroach seemed to wonder at me, how a new monster had come about, when suddenly, it dawned on him. "How long have you been sitting there?"  
"Two hours." I said. It was easy to guess, as my tail had tapped the seconds, and enough went by for two hours.  
"How on earth did you get out of your cell?"  
I pointed to the hole of my cell, and the Cockroach was soon over observing it. "Amazing."

I knew, simply by the way he said 'amazing' that I was not the first genius to wind up here, and knew at least, I was not as odd.

When the Cockroach returned, I asked them, "why exactly are we here?"  
"Well." The one called, 'Susan' said, "its because we're monsters."  
Well I knew that, but I wanted to know more, and so I looked at the other three.

"Sent here to keep us out of the public eye." the Cockroach said.

"For how long?"  
They were silent, unwilling to answer that, and so I believed the worse.

"We can see what is wrong." Susan said, "but why on earth are you—a rat?"  
The question started me, and I placed my hands on the table. I'd rather not answer that, I needed to know more about these other, older monsters then me. Still, I decided it would be best to answer then remain silent like I usually did. If I was going to remain here until my death, I'd rather do so without enemies. "I was trying some Stem Cell research, trying to help the human race. The effects you see were somewhat expected-but the head and the paws..not so much."  
The monsters nodded, understanding.

"And-your name?" The fish-monkey thing asked, and as I went to say it, my tail flicked.

"I'd rather know yours, first."  
The monsters then went to introduce themselves. Susan was the only one who seemed to have a normal name, but BOB, still didn't seem to see me.

"And my na-"

It was then I heard a buzzing. No-not a buzzing. But a movement. A jet pack? I turned around in my chair, and looked around for the sound. "Whats that?"  
The monsters didn't seem to understand at first, until the sound was picked up by The Missing Link and Dr. Cockroach.

"Hopefully the one who will explain this to you better." Missing Link said.

Soon, a human-on a jet pack, arrived. He was only a few feet shorter then myself. I learned his name to be General Monger.

And so, I was to start my day with a tour. A tour of my cage, I guess.

"You, are a monster. Hidden away from the public so that they do not have to worry about you."  
"And-?" I wasn't very impressed by this. "Where am I, exactly?"  
"Can't tell you that."  
Typical. Alright, so I asked a few more questions. "How long have those others been here?" BOB, Dr. Cockroach, and Missing Link had been there for the last fifty years. While Susan had been here for about six months.  
"Alright, and why exactly am I treated like a hamster?"  
The General didn't answer that, but I didn't say anything.  
"I should mention-what is your name?"  
"Dr. Salk; Dr. Jennifer Salk."  
"Well, now its Dr. Rattus."  
"You give me the latin name of the rat?" Well, the originality of the names they had given Dr. Cockroach wasn't much better.

"We could call you Verminist."

The last thing I needed was to have my name be something about vermin, something that needed to be exterminated. So, now I was Dr. Rattus. I didn't like the name, but it was better then the other. So, I guess, I'll have to deal with it.

I soon found myself in the white hall again, with the four monsters. They each sat at their chairs.

"Do you know your name yet?" Missing Link asked.

"Dr. Rattus."

"Doctor?" Dr. Cockroach asked, "so you are a--"  
"Scientist. PHD."

"Ah-" Dr. Cockroach seemed somewhat irked by that, however only his antenna showed that, not so much was emotion shown in his British Accent. "So, you're smart."  
"Yes." I said simply. "However I don't doubt you are."  
"He's not just smart." Missing Link chimed in, "he's a Mad Scientist."  
And I simply nodded, not doubting but not not doubting it. "So, did you also get a box of junk?"  
"What?" Dr. Cockroach asked.

"A box of junk, random pieces of garbage that somehow fit together."  
"Yes, I do."  
"So we are equal. Only, I don't see a hole in your wall."  
Dr. Cockroach said nothing, but I sensed a glare. What was wrong with some competition?  
"So, are there any other Monsters?" I asked, wanting to make sure I had each one in my brain. I am not a social creature, but I decided that I should know these.

"Insectasaurus." Missing Link said, "or, Butterflyasaurus, as we call him now."

Suddenly, I heard wing beats, and a roar, and I saw a furry insect standing near us. I moved out of my chair, my tail hovering around me, and I scampered-literally scampered, I swear I was on four legs, and went up to the giant beast. I touched it-and it was furry. I didn't find the thing to odd, however its wings looked to small to be useful. I found my way back, and looked at the others.

I wasn't much for talking, really. And as the group of monsters began to eventually chatter amongst themselves-about me, but nothing bad-I simply sat idle. That was, until BOB blurted out.

"What rat?"

"That one, BOB." Missing Link pointed to me.

"Thats not a rat, thats a Cockroach."  
"No. BOB, that is me." Dr. Cockroach corrected. "That, is Dr. Rattus."  
BOB seemed confused, and I heard Dr. Cockroach whisper to me, "he has no brain."

Well, that was fine with me. In fact, this whole place was okay with me. I had some competition, and possibly other monsters. I only wondered really, why none of these monsters had tried to figure out where they were, and really-how to get out? Not like I wanted to, but I wondered.

"I've never heard of you." I said, suddenly, after about an hour of silence amongst us. "I mean, I've heard of aliens-but never of Monsters. Why doesn't the-" I glanced at Dr. Cockroach, who nodded, knowing I was on the right track, "government trap them, too?"

They shrugged. "Guess they think we are more of a threat. Not able to control our powers." Susan said.

"Alright..but I'm not much of a threat."  
"No?" Dr. Cockroach asked, "do you know how many rats carry disease?"  
I said nothing, because I didn't know.

"Many wild ones do. They don't need an outbreak."  
"And-and you? Why-I'd bet we're two of the brightest minds out there."  
Dr. Cockroach liked the compliment, "Cockroaches are not well liked, my dear."  
"hm.." I found it odd, really. Something about this place didn't add up, and it seemed like no one else sensed this. Yet, I couldn't find any holes in the set up of this place.

Another hour passed, and soon plates of food were drizzled from the ceiling. I looked at all the plates, and wondered what I would get. I thought I would get garbage, but I didn't have any cravings for it-I was still human in that way. Either way, I waited for the food-and none came down. When the others were almost done, I assumed I was not getting mine.

"Thats odd." Dr. Cockroach said, "well, I guess they don't know what you like."

He didn't offer me any of his garbage, and I wondered then why he never ate any of the junk they gave us to work with. I mean, it was still garbage, and its not like his was any different in food form or in item.

So the day was uneventful. Pretty much to be expected, but as we were sent to our cells for the night, and I lay awake, blindly fitting together the junk to try and cover the hole so I could keep it there, yet hidden, I heard a scampering, and soon I found Dr. Cockroach in my cell. He looked around.

"Why exactly, do you have a hamster wheel and water?"  
I shrugged.

The Doctor looked around the blank and dark walls of the cell-the cage which was now my home.

"You have more furniture then the rest of us."  
"I do?"  
"Yep. Susan only has a poster with a cat on it, and 'Link only has a water-filled area with a dumbbell."  
"And, yourself?" I asked, not really thinking that BOB had anything in his.

"Pretty much nothing." He then looked on my bed, and he walked over to my reports, and sat on the bed. His eyes looked at the long extensive reports like others read a novel. "This is quite detailed."

I stood there, watching him, my hands behind my back, my tail twitching, but overall laced along the floor. "I've never seen such reports like this."  
"Never?" I asked, finding it strange.

"They are more exact then a text book."

I realized that Dr. Cockroach had not been out into the world of Science, and so I only nodded. Taking it as a compliment, and nothing extraordinary.

"Doctor, why are you here?" I asked sternly. "I doubt you illegally escaped from your cell just for the sake of it."  
"No, no I didn't, my dear."  
I waited for his reply, now crossing my arms across my chest, yet no emotion shown throw my rat face or eyes. And I could tell he tried to see it, yet it was impossible.

"I came here, to ask you-to invite you, to take a challenge."  
My ears flicked forward, and I nodded, "for what?"  
"A challenge between you and myself. A competition."  
"Oh, I guess being locked up in a place where your brains can only be matched by strength is very damaging?"  
"Yes, in a way."  
"How smart are they?" I asked, not really being mean, simply curious, wondering.

"BOB, is undoubtedly the lowest. 'Link and Susan seem to be about average, and I'd say Insectosarurus is pretty smart for his species." Dr. Cockroach stood up, and set my records down. He walked over to me, and held out his hand, "do you accept it?"  
Undoubtedly, my answer was yes.

As he turned to go, however, I did not wish him to leave. I needed questions answered, and so, luckily, he spoke up for me.

"You may want to get this covered up soon. Or the General will have you."

"And I suppose you should to, unless you have a spare cell door laying about."

Dr. Cockroach chuckled, "your point is noted, and I'll get right on that."  
"Doctor." I then began, before he could move half a step. "Where are we?"

"My dear, what do you mean?"  
"Where is this-p-I mean, facility located?" I had almost said prison. "I know we are still within the United States."  
"How would you know that?" He asked.  
"The drugs they gave me had little effect, I woke up in a truck, somewhere in a desert, and then was on a plane, going West. Not North, East, or South. We are still within the United States."  
"Interesting.." Observed Dr. Cockroach, "I never looked into it before."  
"And Doctor," I kept my questions short, because I knew the later he stayed up, the better chance I have of annoying him. "Why are you here?"  
"Well my dear, the same reason you are."  
"No, not that." I stated, "you are an Englishman, aren't you?" And he nodded. "Well why on earth are in a United States facility?"

As he went to answer that, I saw him draw back. He had no answer to that question. "I never thought about that either."  
"For a genius-I'm sorry-a mad scientist, you seem to forget the little details."

"Just be glad I'm not a villain, my dear. Villains make the largest mistakes because they forget those things, while the hero doesn't need to know them." And with that, he slipped out and I heard him walk across the dark floor. I sat back on my bed, and worked on a cover to replace the hole in my cell.


	3. Chapter 3

**{Chapter III}**

I must have fallen asleep, because I remember waking up with my 'invention' laying on me. I woke with a start, nearly breaking the instrument. I had created, simply, a Microscope out of less-then-ideal items. It had everything that a basic Microscope has, along with some attachments that I still had to add. I wouldn't have a chance to add them in such little time-supposing that the lights have not yet turned on in the hall, and we have not been tossed awake. I believe it is of more importance, that I tell of the dream I had while sleeping. I didn't see much in the dream, more or less a darkened area, full of the 'scientists' that study us, each one talking amongst themselves. I saw, also, General Monger talking to what seemed to be a high-ranking official. Of what the person was, I cannot say-in fact I never saw his face. I only know his hair was a dark brown. Still, it seems like I remembered him. The conversation I heard, was-

"You know, your time is almost up." The General spoke, in a hushed tone-yet commanding. "You'll be forced to join the other monsters."  
"I'm not joining them."

"Its not my rule."

"I'll pay you."  
"With what? You have nothing else to give, you hardly have anything left."  
"What about my house?"  
"We've taken over it, and all its contents."

The man seemed to be very surprised, almost frightened. "And the one that lived inside it??"

"Removed."  
"What did you do to her?"

"Removed."  
"Answer me, General!" The man grabbed the General by the shoulders, "or I swear I'll-" As soon as he grabbed the General, one of the 'scientists' pulled him away, and lead the man away. The man said nothing, but I could tell whatever was in his head it was not good. The dream probably continued, but I recall nothing else, only that I woke with a start, and almost broke the Microscope.

As for the Microscope, it is made out of glass (magnifying), bottle caps, Wire, Scrap Metal (or very low quality), and a plug that is connected to its back. It is much heavier then most Microscopes, but works like them. It is also somewhat bigger-I may have to drag it. I only have enough time to add wheels, and by the time I did, the light flicked on, and there I was, wheeling out the microscope before everyone. It was out near the table, and each of the monsters looked at each other, and then looked at me.

"Looks like you got yourself some real competition here, Doc." 'Link said. "I haven't seen something like that done by you for some time."

Dr. Cockroach, I thought, looked a bit annoyed at my large scale invention. Still, he walked over to it, and looked at it. He tried parts of it, moving the dial for the zoom here, adjusting the lenses there, and basically seeing if the wrong tap in the right place would destroy it. It quaked here or there, but by no means did it collapse.

"Well, Dr. Rattus, I'd say you did a brilliant job." Dr. Cockroach was amidst his annoyance, very impressed. I did not doubt he also had the ability to make this instrument, he simply never had the idea. As for the others, they were simply amazed. They hardly knew what it was, but they were amazed. It was like when I had once taken a stroll through an art museum, and found myself looking at Abstract Art. I saw nothing in it, no purpose struck me, yet it was amazing. I soon began to introduce the instrument to the others, however in an uneven and very nervous voice.

"This, my friends, is a Microscope. Its built out of a few things-" I gestured toward it, my tail flicking unnaturally. I was not one for speaking, I never was. Speaking made me out of my element. I stuttered, trying to locate what words to use. I quickly listed the materials in the instrument, and took my seat at the table, Dr. Cockroach joining me across the table.

"It seems a bit big." Dr. Cockroach commented, "how good is it?"

"It works like a Microscope should work, and is only big because I meant to add a rotation axis and a chair. So it would be like a giant Super-Microscope."

Dr. Cockroach nodded, clearly understanding what I said. I hardly poke as the monsters then took their seats, and I wondered what Dr. Cockroach had made for today. I didn't say anything about it though. I assumed he'd rather keep it more of a secret then I did.

So I found myself listening to idle chatter between the monsters. I remained silent, my ears flicking. Suddenly, I heard Susan address me, and I jumped, as I had fallen into some sort of idle sleep.

"Where did you live before?"  
"What?" I asked, raising my head from my arms, which I had rested on the table.

"Before you ended up here, where did you live?"  
"Oh-" I said, and then continued, "I lived in a few places. Main, mostly."

"Its often cold there."  
"You are from California, aren't you?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Everything is cold to you." I said this cheerfully, offering a joke she chuckled, which in a way annoyed me. I am not much of a snob, but I hate to see ignorance. It is the fact I wish to enlighten them, that I wish for them to know. Them? Them. Them, those who are the public.

"What made you pick a rat for your experiments?"

I felt like I was being interviewed, "rats thrive, and adapt. They easily can do things we humans cannot."  
"Most animals are that way," 'Link added. "What makes a rat so special? Why not--"

I guessed he meant something like himself, "Rats can survive days in water, and days in a freezer. Their skeletons can collapse in ways that would kill. They have good smells, and suffer many things that humans do. There are a few drawbacks," I chuckled nervously. "Such as this fur-like hair. Its not fur, but its not hair."  
"You still haven't answered my question." Susan continued, "you've explained the rat, but not why."  
"Because a rat is something you can easily find in labs."  
"But why not something more-"  
"Accepted? Why do you ask me, when you can ask your friend here the very same question?"

"His, was an accident. I wanted to know about you, because you are here on purposeful reasons. And the only one, I may add."  
I found her comment rather insulting, but I didn't react. "Rats are looked down upon because they carry disease. But not all rats are diseased, many have them as pets. Cockroaches are the same."  
"I do not think they carry disease." Dr. Cockroach chimed in.

"Well-I wasn't sure. I only know that their apocalyptic survival is only legendary. Their shells can be cracked between fingers. That was one reason why I did not pick them. I wished to have a more human creature-a mammal. And then, something small, and common. How odd would it look if I brought a tiger, or a whale, into a lab? A lab that is, really, a house."

"Mm..I see your point." Dr. Cockroach said.

For a few minutes, they all remained silent, before 'Link said, "I don't know much about Modern Rats. But I have a foggy remembrance of the other kind."

I assumed he meant the kind that were prehistoric, so I nodded.

"They never lived very long. Maybe only about a year?"

My tail flicked, and my ears perked forward. "What?"

"Do rats today live such short lives?" 'Link asked curiously.

"Well-yes. They live..live only to be about two years."  
"Will that effect you?" Dr. Cockroach asked me. He seemed genuinely concerned by this. "I mean, two years, that isn't a long time."

I rested my head back on my arms. My tail curled in around the chair, and lay on my lap, as if it was my blanket. I never thought of that. I didn't have the records of the experiment. The government-this darned government, who traps us, but not aliens-had burned that. I couldn't recall which cells were the cells that I altered, or which cells had double uses. If I had transferred the fatal cell, and, if I had combined it in a way so that the rat gene was stronger-how long would I be alive? Suddenly, my mind began to calculate. I am currently, 33 years old. Rats grow to maturity at 3 months. They die by two years old. For every three months, that equals four humans years. There are four groups of three months a year. In three months, I shall be 37. In a year, I shall be 45. In two years I shall be 57. In three, I shall be 69. In four years, I shall be 81. Based on the average years a human being lives-I will be dead between three and four years. So, I truly was going to be here, my whole life.

"Its not two years." I said, "I shall only live three to four more, if my experiment was faulty in that area."

"Your records-" Dr. Cockroach began, but I cut him off.

"They burned that part. They've doomed me."

I felt an air of anger come upon the group. To know that they had a new addition-but to know that that new addition could be dead in three short years. No matter how long that seemed in this place, I knew that deaths always came to early. Yes, I knew that well.

BOB, then broke in, not really understanding the situation. "So-when is your birthday?"

I twitched, my whiskers flicking in the direction of BOB, and I felt Dr. Cockroach touch my shoulder.

"We're here for you, Dr. Rattus. Your death won't be forgotten."

I felt the weight of Susan's finer on the other shoulder.

"One monster is every monster."

And I nodded, believing their every word, like a child with cancer, or sickle cell. I was, simply going to die-and that was all. They all knew it. Even BOB knew it, he just couldn't comprehend it. My eyes shut, and suddenly, I could have sworn, that my dream had entered my reality. As soon as my red eyes shut, I saw-no heard-the voice that had been in my dream.

"_They won't hurt you. They can't. I won't let them get away with it, mark my words. They will die before you do."_


	4. Chapter 4

**{Chapter IV}**

My eyes flew open quickly, and I found myself laying on the floor of the great white hall, the monsters looming over me. I looked around quickly and sat up. My head hurt instantly, a whole Shockwave went down my spine, and my tail twitched. I cringed in pain, a harsh hiss-like squeak came from my jaws. It was a rat's voice, not my own. My ears flicked back, and I grabbed my head, by knees coming up to my chin. 'What happened?' Was my first thought, as the pain attacked me more quickly then I could have reacted. I remembered-the voice. What was it? Who was it? It was the same voice as in my dream. Where had it come from? Was I imagining things?

"Dr. Rattus?" I heard a voice ask, and it seemed as just saying my name, I couldn't place it. Was my hearing effected also? "My dear, are you alright?"

I knew who it was. "Doctor..?"

"Ah! Your back!" Dr. Cockroach seemed pleased, and slowly I let y hands fall from my head, and placed them over my knees. I looked around me at the others, glancing at the ceiling that was not covered by Susan looming over us.

"What-what happened?"  
"You zonked out!" 'Link said. "You were just sitting there one moment, and the next thing we know, your on your back."  
"For-for how long?" I asked, somewhat panicked.

"About..twenty five minutes, my dear." Dr. Cockroach said, estimating as best he could. I realized we needed a clock here, but my mind was to fragile to think of inventing anything more now. "What happened before you-can't remember anything?"  
I knew what happened. It was that voice. Was it a seizure inducing voice? Why did only I hear it? Or-was it all in my head? Did all rats hear this voice? Was this why they die so young? My mind trembled. I never heard the voice except in my dream. I thought I recognized it-but where? I trembled. I couldn't speak, I grew incredibly worried, which isn't like me. I didn't understand this, words that you hear-they don't do that to people. Words that you understand, are simply words-they do not effect you in such a way they did.

"My dear?" Dr. Cockroach asked again, I had apparently not said anything, just starred blankly at the floor.

"Oh-" I said, and then went to tell him about the dream, and the voice. "I had the dream last night, I don't know who he was-but he seemed to be filled with rage over whatever happened to him. He—e swore revenge on Monger for whatever he did to 'her'. I don't know its what he said. I recognize his voice, but from where fails me. I heard the voice..minutes after..after..we figured out..about my deadline."

Dr. Cockroach fell silent, unable to speak. As did the other monsters, as if they were at a loss. And that I were at a loss, too. That I was lost, and nothing they could do would help me.

"That sounds very-" 'Link said, "odd. I mean, a voice you hear, but you don't know where its coming from? Did you put something in your head? Was there something in the rat's head?"

Dr. Cockroach glared at 'Link, "you don't put things in a rat's brain to experiment. Not-not like that, anyway. You at least see what is connected to the brain, on the outside. You can remember that much about the rat, can you? It was a normal albino rat, right?"

I nodded, I remembered that. It was a normal, white lab rat. Nothing had been done to it before-or I guess after. Monger probably killed it.

"It sounds more like Science..." BOB said, and then quickly added, "Fiction!"

He all looked at him, "BOB, now that is just absurd." Dr. Cockroach scoffed, "Science Fiction? There is nothing like that here. We are totally sealed in from the outside world."

"But what if there are..are others?" I asked. "I mean-Aliens? I always..I always found that odd. This place, it seems.."

"Seems like what?" Dr. Cockroach asked.

"seems like they knew everything was going to happen."  
"What?"

"I mean.." I couldn't explain it, really. "Everything here is just to predictable. It being hidden away, and you-an Englishman, in an American facility? How is it they have clothes for Susan, when she is-49 ft. tall? Why do we not try to escape, when there are no cameras to stop us? They no longer watch us after lights out, and-Monger." I now stood up, and wobbled over to my chair, my arms on the table, holding me over it, my tail zig-zagging. "A _jet pack_?"

I turned swiftly, almost falling. "Jet packs-they are impossible in this day in age to be used so much and in such a way. They would use so much energy, that they would cost to much. And so much power that you'd shoot up for many feet before coming crashing down, there is no way to control such energy. Yet-he has one. How?"

"There are ways, my dear. Look what you made-a Microscope out of little more then wire and a few magnifying glasses."

"But that uses no fuel. Also-how do they know where monsters are? I never left my house after the experiment happened. How do they know? Or-who called them to tell them of me? What number did they call?" I wasn't sure if I was making sense or not, but I hoped I was. I was tired enough already, and I quickly turned my back to them, and sat in my chair. I didn't know if I made it through to them or not. I was to tired to do anything else. My bones ached. I-I needed water. I realized then, that this added even more the the great knowing of the government. They knew I'd need water. They knew it! How? How would they know such things? Yes-all creatures need water, but I was the only one that had any sort of other food. That I was singled out. I pushed away from my chair, and began to walk toward my cell, but I found it hard to walk, hard to stand. Dr. Cockroach was soon at my side, as he was the best on height with me, and best with scale. 'Link was to-to strong to support me without doing anything else. Susan was to big-and BOB, was simply not human enough. If I may say that nicely. It was sometimes good not to have a brain, you couldn't strain it, and it wouldn't backfire on you. I thought maybe, that BOB was on to something.

The water was in my hands, and I brought it up to my mouth, and swallowed. It helped more then I thought it would. It was water-I was sure of that. A rat's keen senses didn't always detect poison, but they had the ability to-with the right mind. I strolled over to my bed, and sat on it, wondering. Dr. Cockroach stood there, his hands behind him.

"My invention-" He started, trying to move me on to a less stressful conversation. I wondered if he thought I was crazy. "It was a chess board."  
"A-chess board? Doctor, isn't that below you?"  
"Well frankly, yes. But not always. It was a three leveled chess board, and it only has a King, a Queen, a Knight, a Pawn, and a Bishop on each team."  
"Sounds-easy." I said, trying to remember my last game of chess. It had been two years ago, but it seemed so distant now I couldn't recall anything.

"Well, yes, but the board changes. It revolves at intervals. The King could be in check, and the board switches, moving the other players king away. It also resurrects 'dead' pieces occasionally. Its like a battle of fate more then a battle of wits. You hope that you can get to check mate before the board switches and you loose. You not only go against the other player-but the mini computer that is in the game itself."  
"Why-it has a mind of its own?"  
"Yes, my dear, that is exactly it."  
I stood up, wanting immediately to play this revolutionary chess game, but Dr. Cockroach was soon to stop me, holding onto my shoulders.

"As your friend and one of the scientific trade, I implore you not to leave this room again until meal time. You're to weak to stand as it is."  
I nodded, not willing to put up a fight, it wasn't worth it. I needed all the sharpness my mind could get, so I sat back down on the bed, and Dr. Cockroach returned to his spot.

"Doctor." I began, "can I be exempted from our competition tomorrow?"  
"Yes-oh yes, my dear." Dr. Cockroach chuckled. "There are more important things then inventing crazy games out of junk."

And with that, he left. He was a friend-and a colleague. I couldn't place exactly where he belonged, because he seemed to be the personification of both exactly. If my heart-of-friends was a Venn Diagram, he would be in the center where the circles overlapped. The others, well they were friends to. But it was different when you 'shared a brain'. It was more fun to test your wits. And that was the end of it, before I force myself into a slumber, hoping not to have the dream again.


	5. Chapter 5

**{Chapter V}**

I woke up with Dr. Cockroach gently tapping me on the shoulder, and I woke with a start, my eyes flicking open with warning, and my ears flicking forward. I sat up, making Dr. Cockroach back up.

"Did you have the dream?"  
"What?" I asked, and then yawned, I was startled enough to wake up with Dr. Cockroach tapping me. I quickly came to my senses however, and answered him. "No, I didn't. There was no dream."

"Thats good, come on, maybe you will get food today." Dr. Cockroach left after saying this, and I soon followed him. When I stepped into the hall, I saw that my telescope was moved over to a corner, and I soon sat in my chair, as the others already had.

"How did you sleep?" 'Link asked. "Have any more dreams?"  
"No, no, I'm fine."

The monsters nodded. "Thats good." Susan commented, "maybe the dreams were simply dreams? Your brain may be trying to tell you something. Like if something is troubling you, or something." Susan thought a moment. "Like if your nervous, or if you've lost something."

"But my dreams..they don't follow anything that happened to me." I said, quietly. "They follow whatever happened to this-this other person. Whoever he is."

Susan nodded, and waited as the plates and food now began to fill themselves.

Susan had a salad, 'Link some fish, BOB some sort of meat, and Dr. Cockroach his garbage. I had the plate, and I waited for what they would decide to give me. I may not always eat when I work on a long project. But when that happens, I am distracted from the outside world, and now, out of all the things I was distracted with, I was not distracted so hard that I was not hungry. I was. Were they testing me? Did I know something I shouldn't? I wondered, wondering if the voice had anything to do with it. Suddenly, I heard the voice again.

"_I am sorry they haven't chosen a food for you yet. They will. Don't worry."_

I cringed, I jerked when I heard the voice, and I knew all of the monsters stopped eating when I did.

"Is she out again, Doc?" 'Link asked.

"No, no she's not. My dear, are you alright?"  
"Y-yes. I heard his voice again. It stings my head, he said, 'I am sorry they haven't chosen a food for you yet. They will. Don't worry.'"

"That, why that is odd." Dr. Cockroach said, rubbing his chin, "why would the voice tell you that?"

I knew he stated it as a rhetorical question, but I was going to answer it, when BOB saved me the trouble.

"Maybe because he's going to make them choose a food? Why-maybe you don't need to eat!"

I didn't say anything, because I knew I was not some brainless form that BOB was. I did eat, and I knew I had to. Then why weren't they feeding me? Thats when the thought reoccurred to me. 'Maybe I know to much? Maybe I question things to much?'

Suddenly, I heard a pipe slowly lower itself down to my plate, and I saw coming out of it what seemed like a carrot, some sort of seed, and a wooden block.

"I didn't know people ate wood!" BOB shouted with glee, "how come you don't, Susan?"  
"Humans don't eat wood, BOB." Susan replied, "and I don't think rats do either."  
"No-they don't They gnaw on it, to keep their teeth down." My tail twitched in anger at this, "but my teeth are still human."

"Are they that-that ignorant of you?" Dr. Cockroach seemed to ask all of us. "You are still clearly a human respects to diet."

"They don't know that." I replied, "they hardly know what I did to become this way, let alone what I eat. They-they don't know about the hole in the wall, so I doubt they know anything about me." Slowly, I picked up the only human-like food they had there. The carrot. As I went to bite it, a smell filtered into my nose, and I dropped it back onto the plate. "Its poisoned."

"_What?"_

Dr. Cockroach went to pick up the carrot, but 'Link got to it first.  
"Insecto!" 'Link got up from his chair and walked over to the lumbering beast who had remained silent all this time. "Does this smell poisoned to you?" 'Link climbed up Insecto, and placed it before his nose. Insecto roared something, and 'Link climbed down again, placing it back on my plate. "I'm afraid to say it-Docs-but it is."

"They're trying to kill you??" Dr. Cockroach almost couldn't believe what he was saying, and really, I couldn't either. "Thats-thats just not right."

I didn't know how to reply. I simply remained where I was. 'I know to much.' Was my only thought. 'I know I do. Why else would they poison the food? Either they're going to kill me by poison, or kill me by starvation."  
"You can't keep going on like this." Dr. Cockroach stated, "I don't think rats are creatures that survive long without food."

He didn't know it, but his words stung deeply. Already, I knew my years were shortened, or at least I assumed so. Yet, now he had to point out, that now I may die by starvation long before I die by natural causes.

"Well, Doc." 'Link pointed out, "I see only one solution."  
"And that is?"

"That we each portion our foods so that half goes to her each day. Like tomorrow, I'll give her half my fish. Then Susan-er-Susan will give her a few bites of the salad, and so on."

"That sounds like a brilliant idea, 'Link."

And so, it would be. I only hoped that none of the other monsters' food was poisoned. The last thing I needed, was to be left alone in this place. I never noticed it before, but I liked being around these odd beings. Each one had his or her own qualities that made them unique-and at least for once I fit in. They were more family then I had in a long time.

Our food being done-and I still starving-we each set off to do our own things. BOB and Missing Link began playing cards, and Susan just watched.

"Doctor," I began, "you told me you had a chess game?"  
"Oh! Yes, I should bring it out, then?"

"If you could."

The doctor was gone, and within five minutes he came walking back carrying what looked like a box-a square box-that was black and white checkered. He set it down on the table, his hand on top of it, and as soon as he let it go, the first layer doubled its size. The second layer grew to be the original size of the first, and floated off from the first. And the last, the smallest, floated up off the second. It was half the size of the second. They all floated, and I immediately placed my had between the layers. I felt a magnetic pull, but they did not break.

"Well, I'd say its good so far, where are the pieces?"

After I said that, glass pieces rose up from the boards. One was blue-hued, the other was clear. They seemed like they both could glow in the dark. They seemed to be very odd for chess pieces, and I looked at them.

"Are they glass?"  
Dr. Cockroach shook his head, "if they are, I've yet to be able to drop them and have them brake. Your pieces are clear, you go first."

The chess game itself seemed to be a basic game. The rules and movement of pieces were the same. It made the tension much greater, fearing that if I moved a piece a way the computer did not like, and that it would be moved, I wondered if the computer would be playing favorites? Would it be rigged so that Dr. Cockroach won? The thought was in my head, and so I continued on carefully, noting here or there if it seemed like the computer would allow the move or not. I watched as Dr. Cockroach went with his move, and we both seemed as equally stressed. Apparently he had put his wits to the test against the computer. If there was a chance the computer could be beaten, it would be beaten when thrown against us. I was able to take his Bishop with my Knight, eventually, about five minutes into the game. I was also going to take his Knight, when the game suddenly changed tactics, and switched my Knight which was on the second level-with my pawn which was on the third. It then changed the pawn around so that his Knight could take it, and my tail twitched in annoyance.

I found that after an hour of playing, that the computer had no bias on who would win. It not only would take out certain pieces, but would also delay the game by bringing them back. Twice i had Dr. Cockroach in check, and twice the computer moved the king. One Dr. Cockroach was able to get so far as to get me in check mate, and the computer resurrected the king. Eventually, we each had it down to just having out kings, and we slowly moved along the three layers, trying to corner the other. This may sound hard, but the computer slowly began to remove checkers that we could run to on the check board. First the corners, and then soon the whole top layer was gone. Soon we only had the bottom layer.

By the end, it ended in a tie, having only two spaces left, our pieces next to each other. The game ended with Dr. Cockroach telling me how to end it.

"Grab a hold of your king, and when I count to three we each lift it off." I did as I was told, and at the same time we pulled our kings off, the game sealed back together, hid the pieces and was back into its box shaped form.

As soon as the game ended, the lights went out, and we each headed back to our quarters. My brain was far from falling asleep though, so I sat up, combining pieces together without much notice of anything. I had, for the moment forgotten about the dream, and the voice.

Suddenly I heard Dr. Cockroach scuttling through the hole which was the only entrance to my cell after hours. I was sitting up on the bed, fitting some junk together, wiring it together, when I heard him speak. Even though I knew he was there, I still jumped.

"Dr. Rattus?"  
My ears flicked, and after fitting two wires together to complete a circuit, I looked up, "yes?"  
"You played a good game of chess back there."  
"And, so did you. I haven't played it in years, I'm not a genius in war-fare."  
"but you are a genius in many other things."

I found this strange, so I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out what he was getting at. "Thank you, Doctor. But I am not one to be flattered. I am not a genius compared to you, and your mad scientist laugh is much better then mine."

"Well, yes, I guess so."

He seemed nervous, so I decided to move him along a bit. "I don't think you are only here to compliment me, Doctor." I glanced down at my work, and then continued, "what are you getting at?"

Dr. Cockroach sat down next to me on the bed, something I did not find all that strange, but I moved over just the same.

"Time is short for you," He started, and my ears flicked back. I guessed this was going to be longer then expected, so I set the project I was working on onto the floor. "So, I decided, that it would be best if I too, moved along quickly." I still didn't really know what he was getting at. "So, I decided, that instead of taking a long time with this, I thought I should just ask you now."

He moved off the bed, and as soon as he made the next action, I stopped him. He was on one knee, and as soon as he did so, I stopped him.  
"Don't."  
"Don't what, my dear?"

He asked this in a normal voice, but I simply shook my head, and he continued. "Dr.---" He didn't know my real name, so I mumbled it. "Dr. Jennifer Salk, will you marry me?"  
"No." The answer surprised him, yet it did not surprise me. It brought me back, instead, to the darkest realms of my memory. "I cannot, as, I am already engaged." I also did not love him. Sure, I cared for him, and cared about him. I would be deeply grieved if he died, but I did not love him in such a way. I could not love him, it was no longer an emotion I felt.

"You are? My dear-"  
"You wouldn't have known. It was—was six years ago." He stood back up, I didn't know if I broke his heart or not. But he listened to my story, so I guessed I hadn't. "six years ago I became engaged to a scientist, I hardly remember his name, but I loved him dearly. A week before our wedding, he disappeared. Right off the face of the earth. It was not that he left me, but that he was gone. When the day of our wedding came, I did the first of my altering experiments. You see this before you, but you don't know what I have done before it. I slowly, one by one, took out all traces of the emotion, 'love'. And all emotions directly related to it. I do not carry the hormones which release it, and the experiment nearly killed me, taking apart my brain."

The Doctor was speechless, and I was afraid I had said the worst for his heart, and I wished, really, that I still had mine. But I couldn't be for sure, I no longer had the emotion that would allow me to.


	6. Chapter 6

**{Chapter VI}**

I waited, waited to see if Dr. Cockroach was going to fail on me. I had no idea how much pain I had caused him, and I felt sorry for him. I sympathized with him, however empathy I could not do. I waited to see how he would take this information, whether he'd refuse to accept it, or accept it. I grew nervous, my tail now laying itself on my lap, my ears turned back, and my head down.

"And you survived, such a thing?" Dr. Cockroach asked me, and the rest of the room was silent, no noise was heard, not even an echo.

"Yes."  
"But you operated on your own brain? You took apart things not even visible to the naked eye, Jennifer. You took apart your being."  
"Perhaps..perhaps I did."

"You ended your life the moment you did that, Jennifer. What will happen if you feel the emotion?"  
"Nothing, I do not feel it."  
"Has it ever occurred to you the stress you are putting onto your mental stability may be to much? And that the voice you are hearing is a result of that?"

His voice was not sharp, nor angry. It was concerned.

"My dear, you cannot erase what you are born with, only replace."  
"Yes..?" I asked.

"You would have had to implant something in your brain. Something to replace the part of your brain that makes the emotion."

"I didn't."  
"Then-what did you do?"  
"I cut into my brain, and waited and hour. I almost died twice, I am not sure how I lived through it."  
"See?" Dr. Cockroach said, quickly moving, and grabbing me by the shoulders, shaking me. "See!?" He shook me again, "your brain is probably dying because you destroyed its nature."  
I said nothing, my eyes dared not to look in his face. He didn't realize it at first, what he had said. I pulled out of his grasp, and said nothing. I saw as he realized what he had said, and immediately, he slapped himself mentally. I could tell it by his tone of voice when he started to talk again.

"My dear-I am truly sorry, I did not mean-"

I shook my head, and Dr. Cockroach nodded, seeing that any argument he had against my old experiment was right, but now was not worth yelling about. It no longer effected me, it no longer mattered. So what if my brain was committing suicide? I was dying in three years anyway. Dr. Cockroach didn't say anything else, as he slowly left through the hole, and I heard a saddened walk in his step, as his shoes echoed in the hallway. I hoped I had not stung him in the heart to much, and I wondered also, what that would feel like. I didn't remember the feeling, either. With a dark and saddened mind, I went to sleep, leaving my next project to be unfinished until a later time.

"_How dare they. How dare they try to poison you! Monger and his men will pay, all of them who have wronged you. Don't you worry, don't you worry. They will all pay."_

I woke with a start, and woke with the walls around my cage to be closed still. Why was that? It had to be 'Lights On' time by now. I lifted myself out of bed, and cautiously made my way through the hole, and scampered into the hole of Dr. Cockroach's cell.  
I found him working on one of his projects.  
"Doctor."

When I said this, he nearly jumped, and whirled around. He had broken goggles on, it seemed like.  
"What, what are you doing?" I was side tracked, amused in whatever he was doing, I peaked over his shoulder, my tail curiously turning itself into a vague question shape and wagging.

"A clock."  
"How large of a scale?"  
"Not large, which is why I need the goggles."  
"hm..Do you know how long its been?"  
"Almost, its about 9...45."

"AM?" I asked, and he nodded.

"And what time are we normally released?"  
Dr. Cockroach shrugged. "Its been a long time since I cared about time, my dear. And with such a care now on my mind, I must have it." With this, he set off a laugh, and my ears cringed at the noise, however it fitted him nicely.

"Doctor," I began, "I heard the voice again."  
"What?" Dr. Cockroach said, taking the goggles off. "When?"  
"Soon after I drifted off last night."  
"What did it say?"  
I tried my best to recall it, and then said, "'How dare they. How dare they try to poison you! Monger and his men will pay, all of them who have wronged you. Don't you worry, don't you worry. They will all pay.'"

Dr. Cockroach's antennae flicked. "However-or whatever this voice it, its spying on us. It knows us, mainly you."

"Well, yes. But then why haven't we seen it?"  
"I can't answer that, my dear."  
"I wonder," I said, thinking allowed to the other brain in the room. "It seems like they should of awaken us by now."  
"Yes, now that you mention it. It does seem rather late. I mean, it seems like they should have called us by now."

I wondered what this meant, "has it ever seemed this late, before?"

"No, I don't believe it has before, my dear."  
"I think we should check on the others." I said, "maybe something is up-" I paused, and the door of the cell to Dr. Cockroach groaned open, and standing beneath it were a group of about fifty soldiers. They looked at Dr. Cockroach, and then me.

"What are you doing here, Dr. Rat?" They couldn't even call me by the name I was assigned. "No monsters can be in the others cell, no monsters are allowed out-how did you get here?"  
"I-" I couldn't answer this, but Dr. Cockroach stepped forward, and answered them.  
"Who are we reporting this too, men?"  
"You are reporting this to the United States of America."  
"And why is that?"  
"Because you and Dr. Rat have gone against the rules."  
"I was established here over fifty years ago, the rules may have slipped my mind, and it is my fault then, that she is here. Now-why are you asking these questions, barging in-unannounced, and opening the cell doors in such fashion? Where is Monger?"

The soldiers looked amongst each other.

They whispered amongst themselves, as if trying to see if they should answer such a question or not. And if they could-who should answer it? Finally they pushed forward a lad of about twenty three years of age, and he swallowed, and read off a torn sheet of note paper.

"Because you have remained loyal to this agency, Dr. Cockroach, and because you-and Dr. Rattus-" he was reading the paper- "are the best minds here, it is your right to know. We are here to inform you that all monsters in this facility are under lock down into further notice, and all monsters are to be throughly questioned." He paused, and Dr. Cockroach responded.

"On what grounds?"

The soldier's hands trembling, he read the last sentence, as if whoever wrote it knew that Dr. Cockroach was going to object to it.

"On the grounds that General Monger, was found dead late last night in the sector which watches the video and general security of this facility."

Dr. Cockroach and I exchanged glances, and I could not believe this, because I knew-yet could not believe it. Dr. Cockroach was starring at me, and then mouth quickly and quietly,

'was it the voice?'

I swallowed, and slowly nodded, unsure, but thinking it to be the best suspect. But a voice-it had been on my side until now, what if-what if-I told on it? It knew everything about me, it could end me as well as save me. And my tail flicked, nervously. I wished, that I had taken the emotions for fear, and nervousness out of my brain instead. But I remained silent.


	7. Chapter 7

**{Chapter VII}**

I don't know what happened. I don't know whether they shot us with tranquilizers, or gave us some sort of medicine to make us sleep. I don't know where I was, but I knew how they got us here. I remember being locked in a cage, and waking up in the white area, where many other scientists had been. It was now empty, all computers turned off. I heard no voices, I did not know what they were going to do. I kept silent, knowing I had to see as much of this place as I could. I snapped my eyes shut, and pretended to be out when they checked on me. I snapped them open when they checked the others. We were in some other room of the facility, apparently through some passage adjacent to ours. The lights only shown in the path we were on, a great platform, surrounded by steel of some sort, but stronger. We were on a preprogrammed route, as the lights did not light up everything on the automated platform, but I saw many other routes going in different directions, and that the steel walls were a lot like my cell. It was like they were hiding something from us, but what? I couldn't try to break free, I'd have no other back up. I didn't know which monster was nearest to me, I only knew that Susan and Insecto were not among us. I was on the right side, and there was another crate next to mine. Behind my crate was one slightly taller, and in the one in front one longer. I assumed BOB was in the one like mine, but as for the other two, I was lost. I saw them stop suddenly, and shine a light in at my crate.

"Still asleep?"  
"Yep."  
"Alright."

My ears flicked, and my tail twitched, as they moved on. Suddenly, the platform we were on broke. It was on purpose. My crate was split onto its own platform, and then connected to the taller crate. The other two were then put together, and the soldiers cut into two groups. The lights no longer directed our way, and I squinted, trying to see where we were going. Thats when I saw, that we were passing glass, once we turned a sharp corner. The lights were off in the glass containers, but I could tell that it was a lot like our cells. Only, it seemed more like it was on display. As computers and wires were on the outside of it, and even more wires hung from the ceiling of the area. I only knew this because the wires were lighter then the darkness, and a computer is easily recognized. Were we going there? Or-or were we truly not alone in this place? I shivered. I grew afraid, I wished that the drug has its full effect on me, instead of limited. Soon, however, I felt my crate being lifted, and the other crate was also lifted, and we then parted ways. I couldn't see who was in the other crate, and so, simply shut my eyes, and counted the seconds, when I realized-I heard a ticking on my wrist. I looked down, and heard the ticking be more defined. I moved my wrist up to my eye, and saw it as being a watch, its face clumsily put on, so I could just make out the small hand being on the 1, and the big hand on the 3. I saw the third hand, a needle it seemed like, and then I could see the small washers and nuts that the Doctor had fit in to make a makeshift watch. I wonder when he had slipped it on my wrist, maybe it was after they set the drug into me? I didn't know, and I didn't have any time to figure this out. They dropped my crate, opened the door, and drew out a TAYZER, and placed it at my throat, after moving my shirt that covered it down. I heard the shock being powered, and I wanted to pull away. Then, I felt it hit my fur. My organs shocked, my brain hissed, and I hissed loudly in pain. My brain turned off for moments, and I saw, simply, a light. I hardly saw it for a moment, however, when I heard the voice again.

"_No. No! You cannot die! Not now. I have saved you until now, and I shall continue to keep you alive from these-these barbarians. I do not care if you tell them about me, but if you do-" _ The voice trailed off, and then said, _"I will be forced to harm more, as they will not believe you. And-if they try to kill you...they will meet the same fate as Monger."_

"George, she's awake!"  
"Quickly, get water."

Cold water splashed onto my face, and I gagged, finding myself in a blank, white room. Three soldiers stood around me, and then backed off as soon as my eyes opened. I stood, and they scattered out of the doorways, before I could say anything. My ears flicked back, and I looked at the wrist watch. It was 2:35, had I been mentally dead-dead-for that long? I shivered at the thought, but then shivered more as I looked around the room. Everything was white. The walls were tiled white, the floor was a hard white cement. The doors were gray, with no windows. I saw a mirror some feet before me, and a nailed in whine chair, with arms and a back. I thought I should sit in it, but then thought it might be a trap, so I said allowed.

"Where am I?"

No answer.

"Who is waiting for me?"  
I looked around for anything that may be bugged to be recording this, but saw nothing. My tail flicked in its curious fashion, and then it dragged along the white floor. No dirt. My eyes scanned the ceiling, and it was all white. All the same, blinding light, and heavily lighted.

"I demand to know who I am to be talking to."

Nothing. My fist clenched, I refused to sit in that chair, I didn't trust it. No one puts a chair-nailed into the floor-in front of a mirror. No one puts it in a bright white room, and no one can buy a chair that white, and yet soft-not made out of metal or plastic. I glanced at the watch every now and again, and I crossed my arms, looking around, observing the room, and waiting. My whiskers flicked, and if they had changed anything in the room, they should have sensed it. Nothing was changed. And hour went

by, and then another.

'This place is so odd,' I thought, 'to odd to be this way.' I looked at the mirror again, and I walked over to it, and tapped it. I tapped it in various ways, and patterns. If it was some security source, I must have went through all the combinations it could have had, and still nothing happened. I looked at my watch, and it was now six fifteen. It was odd how time flies in a blinding white room. I would grow tired soon, and I realized, that might be just what they wanted. This was a questioning room! They wanted answers! I banged my fist against the mirror, and it cracked. It was such a light hit, I backed away from the glass. It wasn't a mirror. No, it was something-something else. My fist now drew a thin line of blood. I cringed at it, and without noticed, sat down in the chair, holding the hand in its counterpart. Suddenly, the lights flicked off, and the ticking was all that I heard. Then, lights flashed at the mirror, and reflected off of it, half blinding me. The cracked part, was stained with my blood, but it seemed to me that no one noticed this, and I was glad. If I was to be tried for General Monger's murder, the last thing I needed would be confronted with damaging equipment. The mirror drew in, and showed me blackness. Suddenly, I saw lights flick on from the blackness, and sitting on the other side, was what seemed like some sort of questioner. He had gloves on, his eyes were covered by dense and very reflective glasses, and his hair was black. It was greased back, I noticed, and the rest of his attire was pure white.

"Miss Jennifer Salk, also known as Dr. Rattus. You have been a part of this place for little more then a few days, is that correct?"  
"Yes." I said, not sure exactly what this was going to be.

"Alright, Dr. Rattus, please pace your arms-yes even the bleeding one-onto the arms of the chair."  
I so so, my eyes directly narrowed at him.

Suddenly, wires dropped down from some hidden place in the ceiling, and clung to my skull. I tried to escape them, but I felt it. I felt the shock down my spine, like I had felt after awaking from the voice. I felt wires now dig into my arm, and I knew now, that they had me trapped.

They had me trapped, if I may say, like a rat.


	8. Chapter 8

**{Chapter VIII}**

Pain now squirmed into my veins, I could see the sparks traveling though the veins, and I felt every shock as it hit my brain or heart, or some other organ. I hoped none of the others went through this, when I suddenly heard a chuckle from the questioner behind the glass. My eyes widened, and I knew, that he could read my mind. Any thoughts I had, he could easily detect. I couldn't lie, this was some torturing lie-detector, and my mind wanted desperately to curse them. I had let them get the upper hand, and now, now they could read me like a book. If I lied-they could fry me.

"We aren't going to dry you. Not unless we _have_ too."

I thought, immediately, that they had done this before.

"No-not to anyone you know, anyway."  
I set out the rat like hiss, and I heard the person laugh.  
"We can, however, torture you into giving us answers."  
"If you can read my mind, then why do you need to ask?"  
"Record, and evidence."  
I wanted to flick my tail. My brain was useless to me now. I wished-but I stopped my thought. I tried to focus on only one thing, but I needed a subject. Something, something that they could place nothing on. I couldn't think about what it was, and soon the image focused itself into my mind. The image of my hamster wheel, and I did all I could to only think of it. I knew this would stress me out, my brain naturally wanted to think, and it stung. It hurt. It hurt more then the shocks, it felt like I was unable to breathe, being unable to think. I wanted to get out-why weren't the questions being asked? Why? I couldn't try to logically figure it out. It hurt, I couldn't think. My brains tung. More shocks traveled to my brain, trying to stimulate its thoughts. I squirmed, jerked. I grew afraid. My brain never hurt so much, my brain never felt so contracted. I could stand it no longer, so I screamed, and more shocks floated through me.

"Turn that damned thing off-or ask me questions!" I hissed. I am sorry for the profanity-but the pain. It hurt more and more with each passing second. And all I could think about-was that hamster wheel. Its color was gray, it was round, it was made for a hamster-not a rat, and I never used it. That was all I could think about. And it hurt. I can't say what their intentions were-and I felt the shock again. And I screamed in pain again. A rat is used for experiments, and if this is what most rats went through, then I sympathize. I would have fallen forward, out of the chair, if I was not wired in, and any attempt to go unconscious was counted with a steady pulse of electricity to bring me back. Why weren't they asking me questions? I couldn't survive long like this. The hamster wheel-the hamster wheel. I kept repeating the word in my head.  
"Well?? Are you going to ask me something?" My tone was pained, and sharp. I couldn't stand this. "Or, are you going to wait for me to die?? Scan my thoughts-you won't find..find..anything!" My voice and breathing grew short. More shocks, more pain. More profanity. I wished-wished they'd stop. Why wouldn't they question me? Were they trying to kill me?  
"We have no reason to kill you-yet."  
"Then why-why do you strangle me with electricity?"  
"We will get the answers out of you. Somehow."  
"_What_ answers? Ask questions!"

The questioner narrowed his eyes at me. "Well now, aren't you a wordy one? And I thought Dr. Cockroach was hard."

My thoughts still focused on the wheel. They knew that out of all the monsters-I had the best relations with him. Cowards.

"Well, I guess I'll start. Who gave you the watch on your wrist?"  
"Dr. Cockroach."  
"When?"  
"I do not remember."  
I saw movement, and his hand turned a knob on the electric pulse, and I screamed again. I felt parts of my skin bleeding, and my brain must be next.

"When?"  
"I do not remember."  
More shocks, and the same question. "When?"  
"If I told you once-I must not be lying!"  
"Calm yourself, Doctor. When did he give you the watch?"  
"Soon after we got the news that General Monger was dead."  
"Why were you in his cell?"  
"Because-" I trailed off. I needed a lie, and I needed to say it quickly. "Because he told me he was making something for me."  
"The watch, then?"  
"I guess so."  
I saw movement of him tapping the knob, and then continued. "How did you get into his cell?"  
"From a hole in my wall,and a hole in his."  
"How did that get there?"  
"I made it, when I woke up, after I arrived."  
"And his?"  
"I do not know."

More shocks, I swear I felt blood-laced tears trickle down my face.

"You know. How?"  
"He made it."  
"Alright. How many experiments have you preformed on yourself?"

"Two."  
"And?"  
"The one you plainly see, and the removal of the emotion 'love' and all others directly related to it."  
They shocked me, I don't know for how long. They didn't like my answer, yet it was the truth. They stopped just before I felt myself fall away. They wanted me alive.

"Did you know anyone personally before these experiments?"  
"Yes."

"Did you kill General Monger?"  
The question startled me, but I answered with a definite, "no."

"Yet both you and Dr. Cockroach would be the only ones with the ability to. Are we correct?"  
"Yes."

"How was your relationship with General Monger?"  
"Indifferent."  
"And Dr. Cockroach's?"  
"I cannot answer for him."  
Shocks filled my body. I felt arteries cry in pain, and suddenly they burst forth in blood. Blood from my head covered my fur, and I cried in pain. They continued to ask me questions, trying to provoke my thoughts. I still wished it to stop.

"Did you know about this facility before moving?"  
"No."

"Do you know anything relating to UFO's?"  
"None."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Y-yes."  
"Do you know anything concerning where dangerous creatures to humanity are kept?"  
"Yes." I said, faintly, weakly.  
"Ah, and what do you know?"  
"That they are kept here."  
"Anything else?"  
"That you know..you know where they are. You have spies. You know when they are going to appear, you know. You keep records of it. You observe it. I was to blind to it before. You knew my every move-every single one. This may be your chess game, but I will switch it. I shall win. You knew that the meteoroid would strike Susan-knew that an Alien would invade to take it. You knew some unlucky person would be hit. You prepared. You knew that factory mistakes would make BOB. You knew that the Missing Link existed, but knew that most information could not be told to the public-no one would believe it. Just like they don't believe your alien cover ups. You-you knew..knew that there would be a mess up. That Dr. Cockroach would exist sometime. You stole him..captured him from England. A simple bribe, take the monster off their hands-and they shall look the other way. Did I murder General Monger? No."  
"You know awfully a lot for us to believe that."  
"Then that is a fault on your part, not my own."

"You know to much, Dr. Rattus."  
"And-and-?"  
"And so, we cannot let you leave here."  
"I saw the hand. It moved from the knob, and placed itself on a switch. I knew what was going to happen. I knew it. I needed a way out, I needed to get out. I needed to escape. They had me nailed to a wired chair-but not my tail. I knew how to get out, and yet my brain was still stressed. It hurt, and if I could just-just move..if I could just rip some wires out..I would live. With my only remaining strength, my tail tore the wires out of my left hand. My left hand ripped them out of my head, and then my other arm. I stood up, half dead, and wobbly. I saw the shock behind me, as soon as I stood. When no scream was heard, the questioner looked up, and then the doors opened. The wires were gone, the mirror was covering the panel where the questioner was, and the whole room was white. Only the soldiers entered, and they aimed their guns at me.

"Fire at will."


	9. Chapter 9

**{Chapter IX}**

There were no more then ten soldiers. Yet, with only one target, I knew that they would hit me. A rat is a durable animal, but all the places that were vital-meaning my front-was human. Any chance of resistance I had, was gone. Part of me still bled, and I ached all over. I could do nothing. I looked at all the gun barrels aimed at me. Yet, yet-I wondered. Why? What was the point in killing me? If I got out and told the public, hardly anyone would believe me. No one believed the myth of Area 51, especially from someone like myself. I couldn't think straight, and I thought, tried to think. I wanted to get out of this alive. Even if I was the only survivor. And upon thinking that, my heart grew cold. I felt deeply saddened by that-if I was the only one remaining. The guns-I couldn't just stand there. Yet everything went in slow motion. I had no super power, and I only hoped the first plan that popped in my head, would help me. I ducked down, just as the triggers were pulled, and I skittered-I ran on all fours, feeling bullets dig into my coat. I opened the door, and stood outside of it, pushing it shut behind me, and I sighed. I was free. I was alive. Wounded, half dead, dehydrated, and starving. But alive.

Suddenly, I heard the voice, echo in my head again.

"_They lay their bullets and machines upon you. None of the others were harmed in such a way. Run-and don't look back. You do not want to witness it."_

My ears flicked forward, and I drew away from the door, turning around, to hear screaming. I smelled blood. I heard guns go off. I heard blades cutting into flesh, and bones braking. When I saw the first pool of blood force its way out from under the door, I ran. I ran without knowing where I was going. I was tired, I was lucky. I now, thinking, hoping, that I was far enough away from the soldiers-looked back. There was nothing except chairs and a long hall behind me. Gray walls and a white floor. In front of me, it was the same. Chairs and other halls dotted the area. I continued onward. Hours past, I don't know how many, because I hardly remembered how long I had spent in the questioning. A tail of blood dripped off of me, and blood could be followed down the white hallway. I kept going straight, I felt like the rats that are put in mazes, trying to find food. Was that what they were trying to do? I looked at my clock, it was 10:30, and I assumed, PM. I was finally, at the end of the long hallway. However, I came to two crossroads. A 'T' shaped maze. I could go left, or I could go right. I leaned on the wall closest to the left one.

'Why don't they have signs...' I thought, I wished I knew the way. I feared saying anything would cause some security to open. My right eye was half shut. Blood from my head covered most of its sight, and I dare not wipe it away. 'Where..are they..' I looked right, down the other hallway. They both seemed to lead into darkness. And I remembered, the platforms. I remembered, that I had been separated. But which way had I gone? I was almost certain it was left-but did that mean the other crate went right? What if this meant the hallways were designed to eventually go the opposite direction? I held on to the wall, desperate to at least find BOB, he at least, would help. Any of them would, but I needed to find one. Just one. And I would live. I looked back along the way I came, and still, I found, that blood dripped off me. I couldn't die standing there, if I were to die at all. I cringed at the thought, my sight now barracked by blood from my head in my right eye. I chose the Right hallway. I assumed thats where I could find the others, and I soon found myself wandering into the darkness. I only heard the ticking of the clock, and smelled the blood from me. I also smelled partly fried. I had been electrocuted so many times..I wanted to gag and choke at the thought of it. I stumbled onward, trying to keep my thoughts positive. But there was no bright side. Even if I found the others-who was to say they were in a better condition? And the facility would just find me again. And torture me. And kill me. There was no bright side-because I was going to die in three years. It felt like that long, now. It felt like the longest few days of my life, when suddenly, I realized, I could no longer see in the long dark hallway.

Suddenly, a platform broke off of the floor, and lights flickered on to light my way. I sat down on the platform, fearing that I'd collapse and fall off of it, into the gars below. It went without having any true destination for about a half an hour, and I grew more tired, and more weary. If I met another one of the soldiers with a gun, I knew I would not escape them. I knew, the moment I made a wrong turn and was caught, that I had no mode of defense, and that I would be done for. My left eye weakly scanned the darkness.

"Help..please.." I moaned quietly. I was not within earshot of anything or anyone. Not yet. Another half an hour went by, and then-I saw it. The same darkened case that I had seen while coming toward the questioning area. I stood up, and almost fainted when I did. I slowly stepped off the platform, and walked over to the case. I saw, in the case, Susan. Wires clung to her arms and body, and she saw me. She nearly screamed when she saw me. I drew back, afraid. My nerves were gone, and I couldn't do anything to escape. Suddenly, I heard lights all over the place flicker and then flash on. I was in the back of their cells. They were in some sort of prison, unlike the area they had before, with the hall. This was a prison. And I, was in the back of it. I saw, across from Susan's cell, one with Insecto tied down in. Its eyes opened when the lights flicked on. Then, I saw an even bigger case somewhat further down, so I stepped onto the platform-it hadn't moved-and slowly stepped off again. There were five cases. Susan and Insecto were in the back, in the center was the widest case. Diagonally to the right, was a case filled with water-and no lid, and on the other side-was BOB's. I dared not to look into the center yet, but instead slowly moved on to 'Link's.

"'Link?" I called, somewhat weakly. I saw 'Link come to the glass, and upon seeing me, went up to the surface.

"You'll need to come up here, Doc." I saw that he too, had wires on him. I saw a platform at the top of his tank-and a ladder was the only way tot he top of his tank. I climbed up it, almost fainting and falling off of it many times. When I did arrive at the top, I collapsed near the edge, and 'Link spoke to me.

"Doc!" He called, shaking me. "They did a number on you!"

"You don't think I know that..? They ..they were going to kill me."  
"What?"  
"They questioned me, and came close to frying me with the electric pulses..when I told them all that I figured out about this facility..they were going to kill me. I escaped with only a second to spare-and that was when the soldiers walked in. They raised their guns at me, and I ducked down, and escaped with only a few spots on my back and sides hit...I heard..I heard the voice, and the voice-the voice killed them. The voice killed Monger.."  
'Link was stunned. "We were questioned to, but as severely. We are all in prison until they can find the guilty one."

I moaned.

"Doc, whoever it is-it is not you. Even if they tried to kill you-none of us would kill General Monger. I hardly believe he's dead. He's older then the facility-and Dr. Cockroach, BOB, and I have been in there for about fifty years, and he was there from the beginning. I don't think he is dead. Nothing could kill that guy."  
"Why-why do you have the wires.."  
"Its our bars, they keep us from escaping. But enough questions. 'Doc, you need help. You look absolutely tired, in pain, and needing of food."  
I did not reply.

"Well, I'm not lettin' you starve." 'Link dove under the water, and soon came up with a half dozen of dead fish. I didn't ask what fish they were, or if they were raw. I simply ate them. For being starved for three-was it only three?-days, I would have eaten anything he put in front of me without question.

"As for your wounds, 'Doc." 'Link continued, "I think you should see Dr. Cockroach 'bout them."  
"He..he wasn't as hurt..?"  
"No-hardly any of us got so much a a little scar here or there. He got a few more then the rest of us, but you by far are the worse..I wish I could walk you down, but I'm afraid I can't."

I forced myself down the platform, and over, slowly, to the middle cell. I wasn't sure how to get in, until I realized it had a clear, etched out door, which wasn't locked. There was no point in the monsters escaping, for their wires were strong. When Dr. Cockroach clearly saw me-of course he had noticed me when I walked by-but now that he saw me close up, I saw the sadness for me in his eyes. And I saw the anger he had at this facility. I saw that even though I could not feel love for him-and even if I could, I knew my heart belonged to my finance to whom I was engaged, I knew that he still was in love with me. However, I made no illusion to this. I didn't care. The bleeding had stopped naturally, but blood could be followed with my walking. I could be traced.

"My dear-" Dr. Cockroach began, sitting me down and gently taking off my lab coat. "I can't believe they did such things to you. They will pay for it-"  
"Don't..don't say that." I cried, not sure if my tone was harsh, or mellow. "Its what the voice said..before it slew the soldiers. Before it killed them. I don't want to be a murderer, yet I have every reason to be convicted of it-because I was an accomplice of the Voice."

"You are not, my dear." Dr. Cockroach took out a tamp cloth. He had it in one of his pockets, and he dabbed parts of the worst wounds on my head, and my arms. "My dear, this is inhumane. How close were you to dying?"  
"Very..I was able to get the wires off..just as the switch was flicked."  
Dr. Cockroach was silent, doing his best to ease the worst of my wounds. Many however, were internal, and without any of his inventions, he had virtually, no way of helping me any further. I stayed within his cell-to tired to try to do anything else. I fell asleep on the hard floor, curled up with my rat tail. He, fell asleep, sitting against the wall of his cell. My wounds were not as bad, yet I still felt half dead.


	10. Chapter 10

**{Chapter X}**

I woke up, my eyes weak. I felt half fully awake, and half in pain. I felt as if I had healed, but also that I was just getting worse. I was late rising, but not to late. Dr. Cockroach seemed to be watching the clock on my wrist, from a distance, of course.

"If you slept any longer, I'd be afraid they'd find you."  
"What?" I asked, sitting up, not yet finding the strength to stand.  
"When they come with the food," Dr. Cockroach began, "its not with pipes, they come out."  
"You mean—the..the soldiers?"  
"Sometimes. They were last time. They gave each of us food, and left. If they see you not attached to the wires, they'll take you."

"What!" I cried, forcing myself to stand, and I staggered back away from him. "No-no.." I panted, fear fell into my eyes, and I couldn't control my emotions. The shocks has disrupted them, the way a child fears monsters or the dark-I began to fear the soldiers, the questioning. But mostly-the electricity. It stung through my body-worse then even the Voice had. At least the Voice, it seemed, was not out to kill me. I could hardly stand as it was however, and I was forced to drag my body back toward Dr. Cockroach.

"I can't even walk without support."  
"I know my dear-I know. If I could just-just get into my lab. Just for a minute-"  
"I hardly know where I am now, Doctor. I don't know if I'd be able to even get back to the questioning room if I was strong enough to walk-let alone our old dwellings."

I guess I had stated this sharply, for he drew back in surprise. He knew, however, as well as I did that my mental outbursts were not normal. That this would never have occurred if they hadn't shocked my brain so much. Just the thought of electricity sent the room spinning, and made me gag. They were trying to hurt me with lasting effects. Now, for as long as I lived, I would feel it. I would feel fear and pain from electricity. It was not an effect they desired-as they desired me dead-but it was the effect they had. I would tell them anything and everything, if they were going to use electricity to fish it out of me. I couldn't say much on my part, I seemed to go into a state of shock, and Dr. Cockroach saw this change in me. He knew that they had permanently traumatized me. I knew he lost respect for this facility now. Now that they had hurt me like the common lab rat I resembled. Perhaps I was nothing more then a lab rat-but he thought of me as something more, however I knew I would have acted the same way if he-or any of the other monsters were destroyed like me.

I knew he had rage at the facility, and I knew the first time he got the chance, would be the time the facility regretted torturing me. I couldn't say anything, however. I kept thinking of the wires, of the blood, of the shocks. And I wailed in pain, gripping my head. I snapped my eyes closed, and when he tried to talk to me, and I opened my eyes, I saw lightning. I knew it was all in my head, that they had wounded me on the verge of plain insanity. But-I couldn't die, not now. Rats are durable creatures, I had-I had to resist death. I forced myself to my feet, and I asked Dr. Cockroach, "Where's my lab coat?"

"My dear, its full of bullet holes, parts of it are torn and smothered with blood."

"Where is it?" I asked again. I knew he wouldn't want to give it to me, but I was not going to walk around with out it. It was as much a part of me as anything else I had was. I wasn't about to go without it.

Dr. Cockroach retreated to a corner of his cell, and came back with it. He had tried his best to fix what he could, he somehow sowed parts of it, which I noticed that some parts of his lab coat had minor cuts out of them, or were shorter in some places. I couldn't say I believed it when I saw it, but that was what it looked like. Had he actually taken apart some of his lab coat to restore mine? I didn't say anything, partly because I thought it was all in my head, and partly because I'd rather not stress the conversation more then it already was. When Dr. Cockroach returned, carrying my ripped lab coat, he gently slipped it on me, and returned to sitting against the glass.

"When will they arrive, Doctor?"

"Its hard to say my dear, they could arrive at any time-you're the only one who has the time."  
I glanced at my watch, and the ticking it made reminded me of so much, my brain pulsed. I hardly was able to make out the time, but I was able to see and make sense of it long enough to see it said 9:55am. I blinked slowly at it, and I was not sure how to pass the time. I was still tired, and I knew I could not talk to Dr. Cockroach, a funny thing happens when you are escaping a prison-you can only talk about _if_ you escape, or _if_ you are caught. If I could have slept, I would have. My brain would not allow me too, however. Maybe the shocks jolted its nerves awake, maybe I would never sleep again after this-I hardly knew. Many times my vision would go blurry, and then with a flash of light, it would return to its clearest state. They had damaged me in ways unimaginable, and I wished, that I could say they would pay. But to say that would unleash the voice-to say that would have to voice kill them, innocent, for the most part. I didn't want to be the murderer, yet I egged the murderer on, unknowingly.

Did that mean I was still guilty?

At 10:30 exactly, I heard footsteps, and I glanced over at Dr. Cockroach, who also had heard them. I kept my eyes focused in the darkness, ready to flee of jump, afraid that a gun shot would pierce the darkness, and kill me on the spot. My eyes saw nothing, I only heard footsteps. There were more then five-and I feared, that this was the end of me. Then, I saw the five, as they stood before Dr. Cockroach's cage. There were five soldiers in the front, and in the back, and in the middle of them was what seemed to be some sort of official. Perhaps the one who replaced General Monger? He didn't say anything, and his kept his head down, as if they had rehearsed this many times before. Five soldiers entered the cage, and I heard Dr. Cockroach stand up, ready to defend me.

"There is no use, Doctor." One of the soldiers stated. "We followed your friend's blood trail from the questioning room to here. She is guilty, and unless you wish to be too, stand down."

I glanced at Dr. Cockroach as I stood, and I shook my head, which I think-to this day-remains the only reason why he did not also suffer my fate. Two Soldiers grabbed my arms, and began to drag me. We left as silently as we-they-had come. We were clear out of the area, and the platform turned and went left-and then turned off away from the prisons. It went left for a long time, in pure silence, only the gears and motors of the platform made a sound. Suddenly, we stopped, and were elevated upward. We reached the ceiling of the area, and the soldiers and I stepped off, and walked into a glass bulb, it seemed like. The eight soldiers stopped here, except for the new General, and the two dragging me along. We entered a room, that held a desk, and chairs. And a carpet which I noticed had the seal of the United States, and that this-indeed-was where General Monger's office once was-now it was this General's Office. The soldiers set me down into a chair, and then left.

The new General had glasses, that were round, so i could only see his eyes if he leaned over and looked at me. His hair was dark brown, and the rest was like General Monger's old get-tup.

"Now, Dr. Rattus." He said, "I do not believe I have introduced myself. I am General Allen, fulfilling the General position until it is my time to retire."  
"Yes.." I said, unable really to concentrate on why I was here. "But I'd rather know why I am here-and why I was almost killed?"  
"You are here and almost killed for the same reasons. You know to much, but it is because you know to much, that we need you now more then ever."  
"How-how so?"  
"The cells that your friends were-are trapped in, are not meant for them. They do not belong there, they belong to the Alien-Specimens we collect that are still living. It so happened, on the day Monger died, that we had a major breakout in the hold. We contained all monster-while all Aliens were set free. I do not mean aliens that once attacked California; I mean Aliens that could kill us all-with themselves, and no equipment. It is with you-and your friends help, that we can bring down each alien. We will, of course, set your friends free-if you agree."  
I was rather surprised at this reason, and I found it hard to trust-but I had nothing else to loose. "I agree, yes. But-how are we to find the aliens? They could be hiding anywhere-or be anything."  
"Not so," General Allen assured me, "we have found all of them, and they are contained as best as possible, and shall not head into civilized areas-unless you and your monsters fail."  
"What?!" I cried, "if we loose the whole head of humanity is killed?"  
"I'm afraid so."  
"How the hell-" my anger boiled inside me, once again, and the pain flashed through my body, making me recoil, and restart my comment with more calmness. "If we loose, the whole head of humanity is dead-but how?"  
"The equipment we have, keeping them contained to the radius of this area, will fail once all of its inhabitants are not within the area. That is to say, if all of you are killed-the Aliens will be free."

How was I to reply to that? I couldn't reply to that, my nerves were still shocked, my body still wounded. Yet-yet I wondered, why hadn't the voice called on me yet? Was it waiting for the right moment? Was it one of the Aliens we had to face? I hated to admit it, but I had grown to trust the voice as my protector, whether or not it thought the same way-which I fear it does not.

"A-alright. How are going to release the others, then?"  
"I'm glad to see you have accepted the offer, Doctor."


	11. Chapter 11

**{Chapter XI}**

The General seemed a lot more reserved then General Monger had been, he seemed almost shy and nervous. If anyone, I had the right to be shy and nervous. I still fell into lapses when I just couldn't stand well, and had to wait for at most five minutes before being revived to my 'normal' status. I noticed, during these lapses, that General Allen calmly and patiently waited for me, never once saying 'hurry up', or complaining as I fell in and out of them. It was odd, because I truly expected him to be some evil General, due to the fact that my friends remained in prisons, and I was electrocuted beyond any humane torture. However, the fact he wished to set them_ free_, made me wonder. Maybe he had nothing at all to do with this, and this was all the Aliens' doing. We kept silent for the most part, as he lead me on a platform that was behind his office, and it descended into a hidden chamber. There were not lights, yet he assured me all throughout the way.

"I know exactly where are are going, Doctor. This platform has been here since the beginning, it is the best kept secret of the United States-and possibly the whole world. You won't be able to find your way back to it, and only the highest ranking US officials know. I am not even able to recall if the President knows of it-yet. All in good time, however. All in good time."

The platform leveled off, and turned and made many sharp turns as it did so. He was right, my brain could not calculate any real pattern, and I heard echoes behind and in front of us-the path to this area was ever-changing. I wondered who or what was running it, and how. I was amazed to know that in the very facility I seemed to call home, had this sort of mechanism inside it.

Suddenly, we came to a halt, and General Allen helped me up off the platform and along, and we went through a door-with no locks-and entered a black room. Suddenly, screens flicked on, displaying the cities in all of the United States, and parts of the rest of the world. They had switches-and I realized, it was switches for turning off all power supplies. This facility had it divided into sectors, and I noticed on cities that it was divided on Counties. If it was ever needed, this could shut down the whole world with nothing more then a flick of a switch. How this was done, I had not the heart to ask, but I saw the General walk over to the facility's.

"Why isn't any of this guarded?" I asked, curious, observing everything, my tail flicking in amusement, and I felt like for the first time I was able to look and think without the electrical current running through me.

"Why? Well no one knows about this place-and if needed that platform we are on can keep you going in a black circle until you die. It is so high tech. That you do not even know half of what makes it work. Sensors, screens, and such. Things you could on;y dream of, Doctor."

General Allen looked over the switches, "your friends are in Sector N-9."

"How do you know?" I asked.  
"This is sector Z-000. The old cells they were in are B-1, and so it is simple math to figure out where everything is. Of course, its hard to know where everything is, this whole place is a maze without a map. Yet, I know every inch of it-all the Generals before me and after me shall know it."  
I nodded, still awe-struck at this room. He put his hand on the lever to Sector N-9, and pulled down.  
"Now," he began, "shall we head off to see your friends?"

We went on a different platform, and went different ways, until we ended up at the prison area-but from the front. It was a giant glass-screen and slowly each of them-Susan, Missing Link, BOB, Dr. Cockroach, and Insecto walked out into it. It reminded me of the jail lines, where you turn and have your picture taken for records. General Allen guided me over to a table sitting in front of the glass, and I saw each of my friends with their heads looking at us, and their hands behind their backs. General Allen moved over to a microphone which sat on the table, and began to address them.

"Hello, monsters." General Allen began, "I am General Allen. And, If you have wondered what is going on, I am going to tell you straight on. You are set free of this jail-but on a condition. You see, you were each prisoners where we used to keep the aliens. Yes-Aliens. You have not known of this until now. These Aliens are fiercer then anything Galaxhar could have dreamed up. They have escaped this facility on the day General Monger was murdered, and so we had to keep everyone we could contained. We know the locations of the Aliens-and have them quarantined the best we can. You all are going to fight them, and if you fail-" General Monger sighed, and I saw for the first time, what color his eyes were. They were a blue of medium shade, a shade not often seen. And I recognized it. I recognized it clearly, from the dark ends of my memory, and I tried to figure out from where.

"If you fail, then you will all be dead, and the Aliens will take over this planet."  
The monsters gasped, and then looked at General Allen, and at each other. I remained silent, and I wondered if any of them had noticed me.

"Answer me one thing, General." I heard Dr. Cockroach speak, his voice coming from an intercom above the screen. "What has happened to Dr. Rattus?"  
"She is here-next to me-and fine. She has agreed to take the challenge."  
The monsters seemed to mentally discuss the topic amongst themselves, and then nodded. Susan spoke for them,

"We'll do it."

They were lead out together, each one had their own platform, and General Allen went with us. He remained in front, his back to us all, as the platforms we were on went some strange way. We were not in any bonds-and I truly wondered where we were going. We all remained silent, when suddenly, we went down a sharp hill-yet remained on our platforms as they did not curve, only the wheels they were on did. When the platforms got onto level ground, we stopped at a large door, with a solid floor around the platforms, and stairs leading up and away on the floors. Soldiers came down these, carrying various weapons for us.

"We are not going to have any backup?" I heard Susan ask.

"None, I am afraid." General Allen sighed, and turned to face us. "You are all in this alone. I am going to open these doors, and give you only a piece of luck. Then-you are to be on your own."  
I knew I felt uneasy about this, my hands trembling as I held the gun-it seemed like some small gun-but I knew there was something different about it. General Allen turned around again, and pressed his right hand on the giant doors, and they groaned open.

They opened to reveal the scene of a desert-which was where Area 51 sat, seemingly deserted. General Allen stepped out, and we followed him slowly. The doors were tall and wide enough for Susan and Insecto to fit through easily. We walked some feet out, before General Allen stopped abruptly, and I saw his hand move, and take off his glasses-judging by his shadow-and he placed them on the edge of his suit. He turned around to face us, and spoke to us. But-I didn't know what he said. For now, I saw who he was. I knew who he was, and I was not sure if he knew who I was.

It dawned on me like an arrow, his eyes-how could I forget the eyes? And the hair-the hair, why didn't I see it before? I knew I had that dream for a reason. It was none other then my fiance, who had disappeared.

I recalled his name the same moment I recalled his face, it was Dr. Xavier L. Allen. The name had been an odd one, but it was still a name, and when I saw him-I drew back. I couldn't believe it. The man I had seen in my dream-talking to General Monger-he was referring to me, who had been removed. He was filled with anger at General Monger-had he killed him too? No-no, he wasn't like that-was he? I tried to recall his personality, and when I did, I collapsed, falling into the seizure-like coma. Electricity, it pulsed through me. I hurt-I blacked out-I don't remember what had occurred, or how.

When my eyes slowly opened, I found myself in the arms of Xavier-in the arms of General Allen. I blinked at him, and I knew there that he knew-I had discovered him.

"My dear-are you alright?"  
I didn't say anything, I felt like I was seconds away of failing again.  
"You have changed since I last remember seeing you, Jennifer. Then again, I think I have changed as well."  
"Xavier-"  
"You have not forgotten me, my dear."

I looked over at the others-and they seemed just as worried about my condition as General Allen had-or Xavier, I am not sure what I should call him. I noticed that they knew now who this was-and I saw that each one did not change. Even Dr. Cockroach, who was probably the most hurt by General Allen's sudden appearance of being the one who I basically pulled my own heart out for, did not seem angry, or accusing. I looked at General Allen again, and stood up slowly.

"I am glad they did not get rid of you, my dear." He hugged me toward him, and I saw him smile at me. "When I learned-I thought they had killed you."  
"Kill me?" I asked, "you were the one I thought was dead."  
"I am deeply sorry about that, my dear. I was taken away as soon and as quickly as you had been-when your experiment went wrong. If only I had been there with you, my dear-I would be the one taken away to here, and put in this place, not you."  
_"Don't say that." _I hissed that at him, I felt no feeling for him. I knew well who he was, I was glad to be with him-if I still had the emotion I needed to enjoy it, I probably would have thought the comment to be showing that. But it only angered me. I never would have risked another's life for my own experiments-I wouldn't have if I still knew the feeling of love, or if I didn't. This future would have been the same-I still would have been here.

He seemed horrified at my reaction, at first, but he realized just how much I had changed. He realized the experiment I had done to my brain had worked. He was not there when I did it-but he knew. I did not doubt that.

"You have changed much since I saw you last." And I didn't know what to say, but he kissed me. He kissed me on the snout-between my rat nose and eyes. "Yet you have remained the same Jennifer Salk I fell for."  
I hissed in response. I didn't have the feeling-and so I reacted unnaturally.

"I wish you luck, my dear." He pulled away from me, and drew away quickly. He put the glasses back on him, and stood starring out at the desert.

"I wish you luck, because I can no longer lie to you-or anyone else."


	12. Chapter 12

**{Chapter XII}**

"Each of your weapons have been chosen for you based on the Alien you are to face. The coordinates will lead you from alien to alien-defeat it, and you move on to the next."  
"And-if we do not?" Dr. Cockroach asked, as he studied the weapon he had received, it was some sort of magnifying glass, which seemed to have sensors and buttons on the side. I knew very well he knew the answer, but he had asked it anyway.

"Then you will be dead."  
It shocked me-I knew that was going to be his answer, but knowing this may be the last moment I saw any of them-filled me with dread.

"I wish you all luck."  
And with that, we all looked at out instruments. Insecto-who had a shield of armor on him-gently directed him with sky-lights. He was gone first, followed by Susan-who had what seemed like a sword and shield. Next was Missing Link, who had what seemed like a harpoon. BOB left next-I wasn't sure what he had, because I didn't see anything. Dr. Cockroach glanced at me, and then at General Allen.

"Be seeing you." H

He did a slight incline of his head, and was gone within a matter of minutes. That left me, and when I looked down at the shotgun I had, it had no coordinate. No direction. I narrowed my eyes at it, turned it over, banged it on my hands, and even dropped it to try to get it to relay the coordinate. General Allen remained silent at this time, and suddenly a wave of anger swept over me.

"Don't tell me you've taken away the alien I'm supposed to fight so I don't die saving this planet."  
"You are close to death as it is, my dear. I can't let you go out there knowing you may never come back."  
"Close to death? You are too, so is Dr. Cockroach, so are all of them. The moment they were born-they were close to death. Don't keep me alive for your own needs and emotions."

"You have been apart far to long, Jennifer. If you run out there-and get exterminated by some Alien,  
I thought you were dead for so long, my dear. If I find that you are-indeed-dead, I'll never be able to live with myself."  
I twitched in anger at his use of 'exterminated'. I hissed at him, and he drew back, I saw fear in his eyes. I had to remember-he was only human. I was a monster, even in his eyes-and even though he loved me. I was still a monster.

"You don't know then, do you?"  
"Know of what?"  
I turned from him, and he approached me, touching me on the shoulder.

"My deadline."  
"Deadline?" He asked me, confused.

"Because of this experiment, because of this-this transformation of cells, I have gained many things. But I have lost the human age. Instead of living out at least thirty more years here-my days are confined to only three years."

He didn't reply.

"So it doesn't matter when I pass on, now-or later. But the thing is, I'm not going to be here much longer. And, Xavier-Xavier." I shook my head, holding it with my hand. "Without the emotion of love, Xavier, I feel nothing that I should feel for the one who truly owns my heart."  
No reply.

"So standing there, and making it so all my friends are fighting some sort of alien-and having them die because I was not there to try and help them its selfish. Would you rather me die in a bed, as you see me wither away, or would you rather me die-fighting? If you are not letting me go out there and fighting the aliens by my self, then I am taking you with me, and we shall fight, together."

I turned around to face him, and hugged him. I did it out of care for his emotions-as I felt nothing. I knew the feeling was there-I knew that if it was not gone that it should have bloomed. But there was only a shadow in place of the emotion. And so, I simply had to imagine. But I had to imagine something I hadn't felt in so long. And so, I had no idea what it felt like. I had no idea. I was a brain-no longer a heart, and the brain knows nothing unless it is linked. And I severed that link.

"Well?" I asked.

"Well?"  
He did not reply, and I looked up at him. His eyes were dimmed. He seemed unresponsive, and I drew away from him, confused. What did I do? I did not know, how could I know? I not only erased the emotion of love in myself, but I had no idea about interpreting the emotion in others-and whether I had hurt them. I pulled away, looking at General Allen curiously, cocking my head. I looked a lot like a rat there, as my hand lifted up like a rat's, and I paused, freezing. I blinked, he seemed unresponsive. I didn't know why-was that natural? No it wasn't. Humans don't just lock down.

When I went to touch him again, I felt him grab my arm, and it startled me. He said to me in a whisper, "I can no longer lie to you, Jennifer. I told you this. I cannot continue the lies I have lead you to think are true."  
'Lies?' I thought, 'what-what lies?' I didn't think any lie he could have told me would be bad. He had deserted me for years-any lie on his head could not match that. Still, his grip on my arm did not release, or calm down. When I went to speak, my brain shut down. Electricity sparked through every vein in my body. He was not causing it-it was the memory again. I still had scars, I still was wobbly. My eyes went out of focus, and I saw nothing before me. I tried to escape his clutch on my arm, and I think I may have hissed in fear, but I didn't know. Every moment made the current in me sting. My brain went haywire, memories replayed in my mind-and I began to loose control of my actions. I lost control. I blacked out-the seizure had struck again.

I don't know how long past. I opened my eyes, half afraid, and I lay curled up on the dry ground. No General Allen was in my sight-no one. I had dropped my weapon, it was gone. Where it had gone I had no way of knowing. I hurt all over, and some of the scars had ripped open again. I forced myself to my legs, and looked around for anyone. General Allen wouldn't have left me-no-no he wouldn't. Fear came over me, I was still within the shadow of the facility, and yet I was alone. What if the alien had come? What if it killed Xavier? I trembled, and collapsed to my knees. I couldn't believe that. No. He wouldn't have-he's not-is he? My brain couldn't think or calculate. I was afraid to do anything-afraid to think to hard, or to walk. The seizure may be triggered again, and I doubted a rat could survive a lot of it. Especially in bad spells like that. However I needed to figure out what happened, and if indeed an Alien had come and killed General Allen, I needed to find it. I forced myself onto my feet, and I wobbly continued, in a random direction-not sure of where to go, or where really I would be. I had not moved in my location-I fell and woke up in the same place. For whatever reason, however, I felt extremely nervous, and extremely afraid. If there was an alien around, I had no defense against it. No weapon, no super-human powers, only my brain. I was only a monster because of my experiment, and how it went wrong. I was a monster because I had crossed the line of human research. I felt lost, knowing I had no power or will to fight-fearing my brain to weak to do much. And I felt alone, as if everyone else had perished. It was still light out, which calmed me down a bit. The last thing I needed was to be left for did in the desert in the cold nights which I knew would occur. I forced myself onward, until I could no longer see the facility, but I froze when I heard none other then the voice enter my skull.

"_You have come far," _it told me, _"but you have even farther to go. The other aliens are probably beaten by now, but I remain undiscovered. Simply because I cannot be found, until I choose to show myself to you."_

"And-and when will that be?" I called out, not sure if the Voice I heard was in my head or coming to my ear. But for the first time, I heard the voice reply.

"_Soon, sooner then you think. Turn around, and wait."_

I did so, my reasoning was fried at this time. He could have told me to keep on going, and I would have. The Voice was not at all controlling me, but I was tired-I was to weak to try to not listen to him. I did not see nor hear any other sounds. Not from the others, or any aliens. Not for an hour-not for two. Just when the sun was setting, however, I heard footsteps, and heard it coming from both sides of me. I grew afraid, trembling, the fur-hair on my back rose in fear. My tail twitched savagely like a whip. I realized, however, that the footsteps coming toward me were not the Voice. They were all of the others-all except General Allen. I grew afraid when I did not see him.

"What's taking you so long?!" I hissed, not loud enough for the approaching to hear.

"_You will meet me when you least expect it."_

I collapsed. I blacked out. I couldn't take the stress anymore, I knew now that the chances of me staying alive after the trauma I went through were slim. I woke up again, with all the monsters around me.

"My dear-are you alright?"  
"I don't know, Doctor." I said truthfully, leaning up from the ground.  
"Where's General Allen at?" I heard 'Link ask. "Wasn't he with you?"  
My vision slowly increased to its peak, as it has done in the past. They were all battered. Dr. Cockroach had a badly torn leg, and his clothes were torn here and there. Susan had a few bruises. 'Link had a scar now over his right eye-whatever Aliens they fought, I knew that if I was in their place, I would not have survived. I still did not agree with General Allen, but I wondered now more of where he was, and not what he did.

"He disappeared..." I moaned, "what happened with the aliens?"  
"For the most part they were easy," 'Link stated. "Harder then Galaxhar, but easy."  
I didn't say anything, but when I felt myself drift off again, the Voice seemed to keep me revived.  
_"If you drop off again, you will die."_

It wasn't a threat, it was a warning. I knew my body was dying. It couldn't stand the seizures, and the shocks. I didn't say this, however. I tried to ignore it, tried to stay awake, I needed to know who the voice was, and, I needed to thank it.

Our group did not move from our spot, instead, they circled around me, each one tending to their wounds, and to mine. A few of my old scars-I say old lightly-had reopened themselves, mainly on my head. Which was a bad sign. When darkness fell, I drew extremely cold, even colder then 'Link had. I dare not fall asleep however. I was afraid if I shut my eyes to long, I may never open them again. So, I was glad when I heard running coming toward us.  
It was no more then General Allen, cut, bruised, and his suit torn in shreds. He held my weapon-half blown apart.

"Jennifer-" He panted, "I am not to late?"  
"Late?" Dr. Cockroach questioned. "For what?"  
We didn't answer, but he continued. "Are you alright? How many more times have you blacked out?"  
"Three-three I think." I didn't try to count.

"Alright. We'll need to head back to the facility quickly-we can't risk having all of you in this state at this hour."  
"Never mind us-" Susan chimed in, "what about you?"  
"Never mind me." He said, and I noticed that he did not have his glasses on, and the memorable hue of his eyes seemed to have changed. However, I couldn't place how or why. "Is Insecto okay?"  
'Link nodded, "I believe so."  
"Alright-we'll need him to escort us back, there is no way most of you can walk."  
"No." I hissed, suddenly. My strength was gone after I did that, I don't even think I was able to stand, but I spoke. "We can't leave."  
"Why not?" General Allen asked. I saw concern in his eyes-and I did not dare to look at the others.  
"The voice is coming." I stated, "the Voice is coming, and I am not going to die until I know who it is."  
Silence.

I panted hard, and I looked up at General Allen, and he looked like he was about to cry. If I could have stood, I would have tried to comfort him in ways I never knew how. But he seemed to have read my mind. And, I realized what his lie was. He spoke, however, reviling it to all the others that had not caught it. His voice echoed, like a whisper.

"I never wished to lie to you, Jennifer. But I did-and now I will pay by seeing your demise. I am the Voice, Jennifer. And, I-was the alien you were to face."  
I did not expect the second part, and my eyes widened at that, my ears perked forward. All of us seemed interested.

"It was I who murdered General Monger, and I who escaped. I who destroyed those who wronged you, all so I could meet you. After they questioned you-I knew that it would be to late, if I did nothing. So, I took over the facility. One by one, I did. Each sector, each area, all hoping that I had not been to late. So now, my dear-my love-even though you will never understand nor comprehend it, I am going to reveal to you the _Alien, to whom you fell for_."

He backed up away from us, and I saw in horror as his face contorted. It squished down into a circle, and his jaws seemed to dislocate and change. His neck moved down, and his body floated into an unnatural position. His legs contorted to some new way. His arms moved as if he were praying, and his ears disappeared, and then reappeared as two antenna. His hands narrowed out into sickles, and his skin molded into the color of dead grass. His eyes, that memorable blue hue, now was black, and full of space, he was no longer any form of human. For, now, standing in front of us, was the elegant form of a Praying Mantis. It was not just a giant one, however. It was different, its exoskeleton was bullet proof. Its antenna would read minds-is wings were that of a bat's.

"_And here I am now." _The once-General Allen concluded.  
We were in awe. I was afraid, I was not sure what this meant for me. I was not sure what I was supposed to do-how could I kill someone I had known? Not just known-but should have been married to?

"_And here, I shall stay."_

I knew now. His voice was hostile. I was not sure if he still loved me, I would never know. The voice who had helped me all this time-the one I had ripped my heart out for!-was going to kill me. I had no weapons, no one did. I forced myself to stand, and I began to take the last steps of my life-to fight the one I thought would be the last one I'd ever have to face. Alone.


	13. Chapter 13

**{Chapter XIII}**

I did not know how to fight. I forced myself to my feet, almost loosing consciousness then, as blood dribbled off my head. I looked at the Alien-now what should I call him? I have no heart, and cannot refer to him by anything more then what he now is. An Alien. I couldn't believe this was once the person who had won my heart-the person who was won by my heart. Was he just as heartless as I was? No-he had to still love me. But, was his eagerness to live beyond that? Was he a murderous foe, who did not want me killing him? Even if I had the ability, I was not sure if I could. I had to fight him, and I moved slowly away from the others, and he watched me as I did this. Suddenly, just when I was no longer having my friends behind me-he ran at me. He was much faster then myself, and his scythe-hand slashed at me. I dodged it by moving to the left. He tried with the other, and I dodged it by moving right. He continued to do this, and I kept dodging. I couldn't keep this up forever. I knew that now I wore myself out. He knew this-he knew he had me down. He knew the moment I stood-I was dead. We both knew that, and I did my best to continue dodging him. I couldn't lay even the smallest mark on him.

His eyes never left me, their soulless look pierced my soul like an arrow. And I felt that the emotion of love-which sat in my lab miles away-I felt it brake. I felt the emotions shatter in the jar they were preserved in. The Alien hurt me deeply, my love for him-that I did not know-flashed into anger. That he was selfish enough to kill me over simply remaining on my side! I did not know his intentions, these were only guesses. And I stood staring at him, as his left scythe came down, and ripped into my lab coat, and undershirt. I drew away, extremely to the right, gripping my arm, even though it had not been wounded. Was he trying to kill me? Or trying to keep me alive? My eyes glanced away from him, as I gripped my arm, and I felt his right scythe rip into my right should, almost ripping the arm off. I cried in pain, and stumbled back, looking up at the Alien. He wanted me dead, but what for? Why? If he did love me-what made him turn away from me? If he did love me-and save me-why did he turn against me now? What had I done to him?

"_Jennifer,"_ I heard his voice echo in my head, and I drew back quickly, hissing. _"I couldn't let you grow attached. You must fight me. I am still destined to take over this planet, even if I am engaged to you. Even if I love you-I would rather have his planet be mine-before I have you."_

"You selfish little-"

I cried out in pain, as another scythe-I no longer know if it was right of left-crossed me just below the neck. Blood filtered through, and I fell down. Tears streaked down my eyes, and I scrambled to back up from the Alien. He was going to kill me. I had no weapons. I could not think. I felt a storm approaching in my mind. The lightning bolts-I knew the Alien sensed this about to surge through me, and I knew he was going to kill me first. I scrambled away, turning over and running on all fours. I heard it screech, which stung my ears, and I cried in pain, freezing. I looked into the darkened sky, and saw the Praying Mantis in the air, great bat-wings keeping it in the air. I hissed at it, in fear. I could no longer speak to it. To speak to it would waste my time. I rolled out of its shadow, bruising me. I dared not to look at my friends. I saw in the sky, the Alien-as he flew down at me like an eagle, his scythes out, and then before I could react, they pierced me in both shoulders, and he carried me into the sky. I had not the will to fight him, but I knew he was not done with me yet. I knew it. He wanted me alive, and as struggling as long as he could keep it so. He circled around in front of my friends, and let my body slide off his scythes and onto the hard dirt and rocks. I cried in pain, half dead. My ribs were broken here and there, so were my arms. I could not stand, I was helpless. My eyes filled with tears, and I snapped them shut. I no longer heard his wing beats-had he left?

No.

He circled around, and landed above me, his six legs keeping me from moving. And he looked over me, his mandibles clicking and snarling at me. My red eyes, facing my friends, looked at them. I knew all of them would have ran to my rescue. That one attack by Susan or Insecto would end him. Then why did they not move forward? I sensed he was telling them something. But what could it be? Was it that he would kill me faster if they helped? That there was no good in helping me? I would never know. I dared to look up at the Alien. The Alien who only hours ago, was General Allen. Who was once Xavier-who was still, my fiance. I did not agree-but he was. I still, after all this, had the ring on my left hand. And tears floated down from my eyes at a quickened pace.

"If only I knew, that when you proposed to me. That you would kill me." I sighed, and looked over at Dr. Cockroach. "I should have accept his offer, when I had the chance. If it could have avoided all this..I would rather die-die-then remember you to be the one who I ripped my heart out for! I thought you were dead! And I know now the pain of knowing that you are-indeed-dead! You are going to kill me, and there is no way I can stop you. But I have every reason in this world,_ to hate you_."

I heard a screech, and suddenly the jaws of the Mantis drew around my throat, slowly cutting off my breath, and I was rendered unable to speak. Its wings opened up, covering any sign of light from the moon which was above us. I heard the emotions of my friends. Each one, I knew, would kill this alien the moment my life ceased to exist. I knew however, that it was not right. I knew well-that hating him was not the answer. But-I was about to die. He was about to kill me. He had lied to me, in ways I could no longer forgive and forget. I wished to swear revenge on him, if only I knew that I could. I wished none of the friends I had died fighting him. And as soon as I did, I felt the jaws grip around my throat. My throat just barely fit in the jaws. If he clamped down half an inch more, I would start to bleed. If his jaws moved at all-I would bleed. Suddenly, I saw the scythes lift into the air. His six legs placed firmly on the ground, and he placed to the two scythes, just below his jaws. I screamed, even before he started to rip into the lab coat. He cut the lab coat off of me, in a perfectly straight cut. When he did that, I wished I could have gotten free. But even if my arms were not broken, I had no hope of escaping. Whatever kept my friends from moving-whatever it was-I hoped it was something worth not moving to save me for. I no longer value my life very high, but to know my dear friends stood there watching me as the alien murdered me, sent fear and sadness into me.

"_Goodbye."_

I am not sure who said it. If it was the Alien, or Dr. Cockroach, or Missing Link, or Susan, or BOB, or Insecto. I felt the scythes move to the area they had started at, and they tore into my undershirt, exposing skin. It was over. One more cut, and it would kill me. One more rip, and I would be dead. The scythes lined up. I felt them press down, and like a knife in a pumpkin, carved into me. One straight line, digging into me. Blood spurted out as he did so, and I remained alive long enough to see the scythes lift out of the skin. Blood dripped off of them. Then-he ended me, when the jaws clamped on my neck, nearly severing my head-I had died.

A great, blinding light filled my vision. I did not attempt to look around me, as I felt my soul ripped out of my body. I did not wish to look back. I felt parts of me being ripped apart, as if the Alien was now tormenting my soul. The light grew brighter. It began to focus, and cover my whole vision. When lightning past through it. Lightning ripped away the light. Lightning took away my last chance of life. It ripped me away from whatever lay in the afterlife, and I woke up to nothing. I was dead. I was no longer alive. He had killed me. My seizures had struck, and now, I was forever stuck between Heaven, Hell, and Earth. I never knew what happened to my body. And every now and then, light passes into my vision. I go near it. Each time i draw closer-but the lighting strikes, and I am tossed back. Even in death, the Alien cannot let me live. As if he has trapped my soul inside him, and I shall never be free, until he dies. If that is so-I wish him to die soon, so I will meet whatever fate I was meant to have. Now-light enters my vision once more. Suddenly, I run toward it. I was going to make it, and light soon was my only vision.

_Goodbye._

_Dr. Jennifer Salk_


	14. Epilogue

**{Epilogue}**

The autumn leaves never seemed so alien to me. It had been only a little while ago, since I first stepped out of the facility, and yet the whole world seemed to change. I had forgotten about the seasons, just as I had forgotten about time. We all stood around Jennifer's grave, each of us. Susan and I were dressed in black, and we all-even BOB, seemed silent. It was hard to believe she was gone. I have decided, in order for the record to stand, that her record be finished. That one point remains that has not yet been clarified.

Dr. Jennifer Salk did not die in vain.

The Alien had killed her, but it had given the government enough time to assemble and react. The soldiers which we had seen-those ten who had come with the late General Allen, were under his control. It was ultimately, this government that killed her, with that inhuman questioning. However, it happened that moments after she died, planes and helicopters came to the scene. General Monger stepped out of one of them. He had an eye patch over his right eye, and his left arm was in a sling. He seemed weaker then before, but General Monger was not dead. Back at the facility, I had tried to resurrect her many times. Pulsing electrical currents in her brain, and toward her heart. A few times, we drew close-oh so very close to bringing her back, but in the end we had lost her. The Alien, had been locked up in a prison cell. Its six legs held it suspended like a bat by wires. His scythes crossed over his body, and were locked in place the same way. Any movement from him in escaping, and he would be placed back into the cell. We had lost one of the best members of our team, and so early too. It seems really, that only the good die young.

Slowly, each of us began to drop off from the grave sight of Jennifer. A strong gust blew, before I left, and when I turned to look back at the grace, I swear I saw her standing against the headstone, with one foot on it, and her hands in her pockets. Leaves blew past her, and then in the next second she was gone. I missed her, and yet I knew there was nothing on this earth I could do to bring her back. Nothing. She was dead, and I am afraid to say, that my heart is deep with sorrow at knowing I will never see her again. I need to get out of this sadness, yet I continue to see signs of her everywhere. Her ghost often wanders around the facility. More then once I have completed an invention, only to hear her words on it echo inside my skull. They vary, sometimes commenting on it, asking a question on it, or giving a suggestion about it.

Some weeks after her death, probably at least two months-I did not have a watch, she brought that to grave-I was working on a project to make a Microscope. I remembered, about half-way through my plans, that she had created such a machine. And that her machine, was unfinished. I worked day and night on it, adding a chair that was connected to the Microscope itself, and adding a giant axle from that, to a beam which stretched all the way into the giant ceiling. The Microscope could be rotated-with the chair-in a circle. I sat it in, one day, testing out the new machine that I had created. I had done my best to keep Jennifer out of my mind, but even now she echoed in my head.

"I'd tighten the bolts connecting the chair to the Microscope and axle, if I were you."

After I heard that, I climbed off of the chair, and bent down to see that, indeed, the bolts were coming loose. I quickly tightened them, and looked over the great machine.

"Doc, you finished it." I heard 'Link state suddenly from behind me. "You probably miss her more then any of us. No doubt we all miss her." I thought he was going to continue in some lecture about it, but he too, only looked at the Microscope. "It is quite sad not to see a little rat-like human scampering around here. But, Doc, she would have died in a few years after being here, anyway. Maybe it was for the best she died before we got the chance to become attached?" 'Link patted me on the shoulder, and turned away from me. I remembered that. I almost cursed myself for not thinking about it earlier. We never had a chance to see what cells she had mixed into her body. I took out a small tube with one strand of white hair-like fur inside it. It was from her-I had plucked it off of her before she was buried, and I carefully sat in the chair of the Microscope, and placed it under the glass sliders, and began to analyze it, by moving and setting the magnifying glasses which were the main source of magnifying for this thing. I will not post my exact findings here. Mainly because the tears which cloud my eyes do not permit me to do so.

If Dr. Jennifer Salk had not thrown her life away, had not have to fight an Alien who could easily kill just about anything, she would have lived her years out here. Not three years, but at least thirty. My trembling hand held onto the slides which enclosed the strand of hair, and suddenly, I dropped it. The slides cracked, and I quickly scrambled to pick up the last strand of Dr. Salk's DNA, and placed it back into the tube, and the tube back into my pocket. I left to go and get materials to clean up the slide, and when I returned, I saw her ghost, sitting in the chair. Her arms rested on the arms of the chair. Her left leg crossed of the right, and her tail fell out of the back of the chair, and sat swinging in the air in front of her. It did not touch the ground. Her head faced me, and I met her gaze-as ghostly as it was.

"You did a good job, Doctor." She complimented. "And I am glad to know if Is till lived, I would have continued living. I am sorry I put you through such pain."  
"Pain? I am afraid my dear, you are the only one who went through 'so much pain.'"  
"Me? Doctor the heaviness in your heart greatly beats the heaviness that went through mine."  
"You had no heart."  
"Exactly, Doctor. However, as the Alien fought me, I felt the jar in which the emotions of the heart were kept-had shattered. That any chance I had of reinserting them were gone. I am heartless in death-as I was in life. Forgive me for breaking your heart, Doctor. If I had the ability, those words would be as heartfelt as possible. I tried to help humanity by changing my DNA. Would you say I accomplished that, Doctor?"  
This was the longest I had ever spoken to the fragmented soul of Dr. Rattus. "Yes, Doctor. I'd say so."  
"How do you figure?"  
"Well-look what you did. You were able to take down the Alien, to fend it off from attacking Earth."

"I put no scratch upon it. I did more to me then I ever could to it."  
"But you lived long enough for the authorities to arrive, and to take it away."  
She nodded, "I suppose. How deep is the hole in your heart, Doctor?"  
"Very deep, my dear." I answered it without thinking, but I saw no real spirit reflected in her eyes. Whatever her emotion was to that, I would never know.

"I am sorry for that. I have hurt more then I have helped. Lost more then I have gained. I have not hurt one heart, but three. I have not killed one heart, but two. Do not waste your heart on me, Doctor. I am nothing more."  
"Nothing more?" I pleaded. "No-you are something."  
"A wandering spirit. A figment of your fantasies. I am here-yet I am different then if I truly had been sitting here, am I not?"

I nodded, she was right. "Thats not reason to hate yourself. You accomplished things that only dreams are made out of. You cannot loose hope, even in the state that you are. I-I seem to recall a relative of yours saying, 'hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare make dreams into reality.'"  
She chuckled, though I heard no sound of it, and her fur and coat barely moved when she did so. "You quote my grandfather, and he was greater then I could ever hope to be."  
"Greater? Don't you ever think he too, was hopeless occasionally? Don't play games with me. You are this century's Jonas Salk, whether or not you will ever know it."

She smiled at me, and gently-and silently-stepped off of the chair. Her ghostly form casted no shadow, as she approached me. She looked into my eyes, and even though she saw sadness in mine, I saw nothing in hers. She gently bent down, and kissed me, she hugged me-and it was as cold as ice. Colder, even. I did not enjoy the sensation, and I knew she had no emotion resulting from it.

"Doc?" I heard 'Link call again, "are you alright?"  
"Yea-yes, 'Link." I replied, "I shall be fine."


End file.
